Believer
by scarlett426
Summary: Nick took Adalind's powers without knowing all the consequences. Now they have to figure out how to deal with their new reality together. Can Nick see the beauty within the (former) biest. An A/U what-if story.
1. Chapter 1

Nick took Adalind's powers without knowing all the consequences. Now they have to figure out how to deal with their new reality….together. Can Nick see the beauty within the (former) biest. An A/U what-if story.

A/N I always loved the idea of the Nick and Adalind (Nadalind) pairing, pretty much since the first season, so I was thrilled that it happened on the show. BUT, I did miss some of the initial love/hate chemistry that they had throughout those first few seasons - so, this is my attempt to change history a bit so we can see Nadalind come together a bit earlier, where Adalind is still at the height of her feistiness, and Nick is still a bit unsure about his Grimm-ness. And while I love the idea of baby Kelly, I really wanted to look at Nadalind working together without a baby to keep Adalind at home all the time. I always thought they would make a kick ass team if they were working on the same side.

I have changed the timeline a bit on the Monroe/Rosalee relationship, mainly because I didn't want to deal with bringing them together. So, even though this takes place post S1E17, Monrosalee is already in full swing. Everything else should progress along a similar timeline, although some things will obviously need to change in the alternate reality. While I have rewatched some of seasons 1-4 (and all of 5-6), I can't guarantee that I get everything right ;)

 _ **An evil witch turned me into a monster and only the love of someone willing to accept me as I was, could transform me to my true self**_

CHAPTER ONE

"Nick, I think I found something…." Nick's head snapped up at the sound of Rosalee's voice. They had been searching for answers for hours. His blood was pounding in his ears, and a restless energy refused to be shaken – nothing relieving the seemingly constant ache that thrummed through his entire body.

He looked to Rosalee in relief, but that relief turned to apprehension as he noted the look of agitation on her face.

"What is it?" Nick asked, his voice wary

"There may have been something that we overlooked when you shared your blood with Adalind," Rosalee began, then she hesitated, took a deep breath, and continued, "It is possible that we have created a connection between you and Adalind, one that can only be relieved with….."

Rosalee trailed off, and Nick closed his eyes in frustration, his brow furrowing as he contemplated what he already knew to be true.

"Go ahead and say it, Rosalee," Nick said on a sigh.

"Can only be relieved with… _being_ with her." Rosalee finished, wincing.

"Would have been nice to have this information a bit earlier," Nick said, mostly to himself.

"I know, and I am sorry, but this information was buried deep in this book," Rosalee hurried to continue, "Apparently both Grimms and hexenbiests tried to hide this information – the joining of a Grimm and a Hexenbiest is apparently quite powerful, their souls naturally adversarial, but also naturally mated,"

Rosalee looked thoughtful for a minute before continuing, "I suppose it makes a weird kind of sense, hexenbiests are the most human-like of all wesen. And they have knowledge and talents, even without their powers, that would be invaluable to a Grimm.….." she trailed off as Nick looked at her, mouth agape, "Anyway, because of this…intense connection, Grimms and hexenbiests generally try to avoid close contact, neither one wanting to admit to the possibility of an alliance, especially since the only way to achieve this would be for the hexenbiest to submit to the Grimm and lose their power. The underlying differences seem too great to overcome. But with the hexenbiest spirit removed….."

Rosalee trailed off as she watched Nick's face change from frustration to astonishment.

"Rosalee, are you trying to tell me that Adalind is my soulmate?" Nick couldn't keep the incredulous laughter from breaking forth.

Rosalee eyed him worriedly, but pressed on.

"Well, that's one way to put it, although perhaps a bit over-dramatic – the link between you existed naturally, you a Grimm and Adalind a hexenbiest. You just happened to aggravate the situation by sharing your blood with her. Once you removed her power, you removed the last barrier – she is no longer your enemy and now, for reasons beyond my limited understanding, you long for her." Rosalee whispered the last words, worried about Nick's reaction to the news.

"Well that's just great." Nick said, barely controlling his raging emotions. Then he picked up the closest glass and threw it against the wall.

%%%%%

"What if she gets her powers back? Would that sever this…connection?" Monroe was desperately searching for another answer as he watched his friend from the corner of his eye. Nick had ensconced himself in a dark corner in the back of the spice shop, a bottle of whiskey his only companion.

"The process of regaining those powers can be quite difficult," Rosalee began, a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully, "and even then there is no guarantee that it would work. The information on this subject is very slim…this was always meant to be a well-guarded secret. Hexenbiests are exactly the most social of wesen. They stay to themselves for the most part, keeping their own counsel when it comes to a lot of their history and lore."

"Maybe I should just screw her and get it over with," Nick slurred loudly from his corner of the room. Rosalee and Monroe turned to him with raised eyebrows and he grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, must be the whiskey talking."

He took another long pull from the bottle.

"I mean, it wouldn't be that much of a hardship," he continued, suddenly thoughtful, "She's beautiful, charming, when she wants to be…good kisser…not afraid of a little biting."

Rosalee and Monroe continued regarding him warily.

"Sorry, please continue…" Nick trailed off again, taking another drink. He retreated further into the corner, and Monroe and Rosalee turned back towards each other.

"What are we going to do about him?" Monroe whispered uneasily, "We can't just let him stay drunk indefinitely."

"Maybe we let it slide for now…." Rosalee answered, compassion edging her words, "until we can find an answer for him…..even if it's an answer that he doesn't want."

%%%%%

Nick felt himself slide into oblivion, but the relief he sought would not come. Only images of _her_. Coming to him, slowly undressing as he watched with starving eyes. His hands reached for her, but she was always just out of his grasp, a seductive smile playing across her lips as she let her silk blouse slide gently from her shoulders, revealing herself to his hungry eyes.

"Adalind…." He breathed reverently, trying to walk towards her, but his feet seemed fused to the ground. She was getting further away,and his heart lurched to his throat, his fear of losing her so real, so visceral, that it drew a strangled cry from his throat.

A sudden shaking brought him awake and his eyes opened and focused on Monroe – the look of concern from his friend brought him slowly back to reality.

"You ok, man?" Monroe asked, "You seemed…distressed."

Nick felt a little more than distressed. His emotions felt raw, at the surface, and unshed tears seemed to cling to his eyes.

"I don't know…understand…." Nick tried to put it in words, but his thoughts jumbled and he couldn't seem to articulate his thoughts.

Monroe was growing more concerned by the minute. He looked over his shoulder to where Rosalee was standing, concerned etched on her face, as well.

"We need to fix this…..soon."

%%%%%

Adalind woke with a start, a thin sheen of sweat covering her entire body as she came back to herself after waking from a dream…..a dream of _him_.

"Nick…" whispered in the darkness, it was a plea, but for what? She had seen him in her dreams, she was trying to walk towards him as his hands reached for her, but her forward steps seemed to propel her in the opposite direction. He didn't move toward her, but instead seemed to be trapped where he stood. His eyes held a banked fire of desire, which thrilled her, spurred her to make the flame leap. She had let her shirt fall first, watched the fire come to life as he called for her to come to him. But she couldn't – the yearning and desire overcoming her until she jolted back to the present, a jumble of raw nerves and emotions.

Her hands fisted in the sheets of her bed as her body demanded a release that she knew wasn't coming. Frustration mounted as she keened for the touch of a lover she knew she would never have.

%%%%%

"What did you give him?" Monroe asked Rosalee as they walked downstairs after depositing Nick in the guest room.

"Just a little concoction that will help him sleep," Rosalee answered, weariness entering her tone. "I'm hoping a little sleep will help him clear his mind a bit….but we still don't have a solution to this problem. And it's not like we can send him home until we know how to fix this….."

Rosalee trailed off and looked at Monroe expectantly. He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

"I called Juliette, told her Nick worked late on a case here with me and was too exhausted to drive home."

"That's relatively close to the truth…..not like we can tell Juliette the whole truth, is it…."

"Well yeah, I don't think telling her that Nick is overcome with desire for another woman would go over so well, all things considered," Monroe sighed and closed his eyes, "I wish Nick had told her about being a Grimm. He is never going to be able to make her understand this."

"Maybe he won't have to," Rosalee said hopefully, "maybe we will find the answer before anything else happens."

"Is that even possible at this point?" Monroe asked, "I feel like we have exhausted every book in the trailer and spice shop. Where else could we find answers?"

Rosalee sighed, "I have a few books in the basement I can still look at, but to be honest, I'm not hopeful. A friendly neighborhood hexenbiest would be nice."

Monroe snorted a laugh, "Good luck with that. Adalind was the only hexenbiest we even knew about, and we haven't even met her. And I think we can safely say she's probably not in overly 'friendly' mood, considering her current circumstances."

"Ya, its pretty unlikely that she would help even if we could find her," Rosalee replied with a sigh, "Anyway, I think we've done what we can for now. We'll look at it with fresh eyes in the morning. Let's go to bed."

"You're staying the night?" Monroe's mood went from contemplative to expectant, as he gave her a smile.

"I think it's for the best if I'm here in case anything else happens with Nick," Rosalee responded reasonably, before offering a smile of her own, "not to mention, I could use the company."

She walked upstairs, Monroe following quickly behind her.

%%%%%

When Nick woke the next morning, he felt a little better. His body was still battered with need, but the feeling had grown slightly more subtle….or perhaps he was just learning to live with this new reality. It was hard to say, really.

He made his way downstairs and was present enough to give Monroe and Rosalee an embarrassed smile. He poured himself a cup of coffee, forgoing cream and sugar in favor of a strong restorative.

"How'd you sleep, buddy?" Monroe asked cautiously.

"Not too bad, considering," Nick answered, his brain slowly catching up with the rest of him. He glanced at Rosalee with an accusatory smile, "what did you give me?"

"Nothing special, just something that we give to people who…have a lot on their minds," Rosalee answered kindly, "Oh! And don't worry, we called Juliette and let her know that you were spending the night."

Nick winced at Juliette's name. Things had not been great between them since this whole Grimm thing took over. He couldn't imagine that THIS would make that any smoother. Not to mention that the thought of sharing a house, much less a bed, had become decidedly less appealing in the last 24 hours. The fuzzy "where do we go from here" conversation was becoming clearer in his mind, and the unfortunate reality was that he was going to have to end things with Juliette sooner rather than later. Once that had been accomplished, he could proceed with fixing…..whatever this was.

"I have to go break it off with Juliette," Nick said hurriedly, getting up and starting to move with purpose towards the door.

"Now wait a minute, man, do you really want to do that…it could just be whatever you got going on right now making you do crazy things," Monroe grabbed Nick's arm before he could open the door. "Don't do something that you may regret later."

"To be honest with you guys, I have been thinking about it a lot lately," Nick said wearily. "I can't pull someone so wholly unconnected with these…problems…into all this drama. She will never understand. Can't ever understand. And I don't have the strength, or the heart, to lie to her. Not anymore. She deserves better than this."

Nick opened the door and with a final smile of thanks, walked out into the morning sun.

%%%%%

Adalind pulled her weary body from her bed and made her way slowly to the bathroom. She hadn't slept well, but tossed and turned. Closing her eyes had meant facing Nick in her dreams…..staying awake made her face the fact that she was no longer a hexenbiest. Neither situation left her ready to face the day.

She stepped into the shower and tried to wash away the feelings warring inside her – losing her hexenbiest spirit had opened a floodgate of emotions, making her feel things she didn't understand. Sympathy, empathy, guilt…not to mention the cruel sucker punch that was her unrelenting desire for the Grimm that was responsible for all these feelings coming to the surface.

She sighed and turned off the shower – she wondered if she should try talking to her mother and Sean again about what had happened, but quickly thought better of it. They would do nothing but rant at her incompetence in handling the Grimm, and to be perfectly honest, she didn't have it in her to beg their forgiveness. They had helped get her into the situation, manipulating her to get what they needed without thought to the potential consequences that awaited her.

So, no – she would go to work, act normal….try and play this out until she could figure out what she needed to do. She could head to the spice and tea shop across town and talk to Freddie, see if he had heard of anything like this…maybe she would have to take a long lunch and see what she could find out.

%%%%%

Nick opened the door to his house slowly, half hoping to find that Juliette had already left for work. Unfortunately, luck had not been on his side for the better part of a year, and today was no different.

Juliette was sitting at the table, eating her usual breakfast. She looked up as he entered the dining room, but turned her attention back to her phone.

"Nice of you to come home," she said sarcastically, without looking up.

"Ya, sorry about that," Nick replied sheepishly, running an agitated hand through his hair, "things got a bit…out of hand last night. I didn't want to come in late and wake you."

Juliette looked up again, cocking her head and giving him a cold stare, "That has never stopped you from coming home before. Why don't you try the truth for once?"

Nick hesitated. The truth? That could be tricky…..

"I can tell from your pause that you're trying to formulate your version of the truth, "Juliette snapped, standing suddenly and walking toward him with purpose, "so let me just save you a little trouble. Either you tell me the truth RIGHT NOW about what happened last night, or this is over."

She was standing almost toe to toe with him, and he could feel the anger radiate off her body as she glared at him.

"Juliette, I don't want to lie to you, but the truth in this circumstance…." Nick trailed off, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck, and Juliette shook her head in disbelief.

"I think you owe it to me, whatever it is," Her anger was still real, but there was a desperation in her voice as well.

Nick looked at her for a long moment, tried to remember what it had felt like to have an uncomplicated relationship with an ordinary human…..and he suddenly realized that there was no going back. Juliette had no idea what his life was now, who he was, what he was going to be forced to become. He had thought that he would be able to hide it from her, or at the very least share it with her without involving her in the madness, but the real madness was trying to live this double life, constantly hiding things from the woman that he supposedly loved.

"Juliette…." His voice was pleading, "I can't…..I can't tell you, or explain this…." He ran a hand over his face roughly, "I just can't."

"Is it another woman?" Juliette asked, her voice quavering with hurt, most of the anger having left her.

Nick couldn't help the hysterical burst of laughter that came from his mouth and Juliette gaped at him, incredulous.

"I'm sorry…it's just that, well yes, it involves a woman, but not in the way you think…."Nick trailed off, and then continued, his voice firm, "It's complicated, Juliette, and I wish I could tell you, explain it, but I can't."

Nick realized he had put it off long enough, and drew a steadying breath before taking a step towards her and putting both hands on her shoulders.

"I want you to know that I love you, Juliette, and I never planned for my life to take this direction, but it has, and I can't ask you to continue being with me and trusting me when there are parts of me that I will never be able to share with you," Nick got the words out as quickly as possible, trying to minimize the impact of the words. If he was honest with himself, he would say that his relief was palpable, but he stayed focused on the woman before him, the woman that he had once thought he would marry.

"I can't believe you're doing this to me," Juliette stared at him blankly, unshed tears glistening in her eyes, "After everything, it's just over….."

Juliette walked away from him then, moving towards the front door, grabbing her purse along the way.

"Juliette…." Nick started after her, but she put up a hand to stop him where he was.

"Just stop, I need to figure out where I am going and what I'm doing…." She looked over her shoulder at him and opened the front door, "I'll let you know when I will be here to get my stuff." She closed the door softly, and just like that she was gone.

%%%%%

Adalind realized that it was Saturday only after she arrived at her firm and noticed that the parking garage was only half full. She sat in her car for a moment and debated going inside and working on a few simple motions to try and get her mind off her rather large problems.

Resting her head against her steering wheel, she conceded to herself that it was unwise to ignore such large issues – losing her hexenbiest self, not getting the key from the Grimm, not being able to stop thinking about the Grimm…..

Her mother and Sean had made it very clear last night that she no longer had any value to them …it was possible even her firm, which largely catered to the wesen community, would put her aside once they realized that she was no longer a hexenbiest. She hoped that her outstanding record and legal mind would make up for it, but after the disastrous scene last night with those that supposedly loved her, she was no longer sure of anything.

Putting her car back in gear, she backed out of her spot and headed back onto the street – she needed answers more than she needed anything else, so she made her way across town to hopefully find the answers that she needed.

%%%%%

Rosalee was getting a headache from looking through the mountain of books that she had unearthed in the basement of the spice shop. Nothing she had found was at all helpful to Nick's situation. She slammed another book shut and started coughing as puff of dust rose into the air.

"Lovely," she muttered to herself, wiping the dust from her nose. She sighed as she heard the bell from the shop ring. Normally she loved her job, but today she was exhausted from her sleepless night. She plastered a bright smile on her face and stepped out of the backroom. A pretty blonde stood at the counter, and Rosalee could sense the tension surrounding her.

"How can I help you?" Rosalee asked kindly, her natural empathy already overshadowing any earlier frustration.

The blonde met her eyes and then frowned slightly, "Oh…I didn't know anyone else worked here," she said awkwardly, her eyes darting behind Rosalee expectantly, "Is Freddie here?"

"Oh, I'm Freddie's sister, Rosalee…..I hate to have to tell you this, but my brother passed away," Rosalee answered, "I've taken over the shop, though, and I have a lot of experience with…unique issues that affect our…community." Rosalee was probing lightly to determine if she was dealing with a wesen and looked at the blonde expectantly.

At her words, the blonde inexplicably burst into tears.

"I…..WAS part of our community," she said between sobs, "But I'm not anymore."

Rosalee took a moment to process what the woman had said, and then took a step back in horror, "OH. MY. GOD! You're Nick's hexenbiest!"

%%%%%

Adalind's shock stymied her tears, and she started to slowly walk backwards.

"How?" The single word fell from her mouth as Rosalee continued to gape at her.

"Um, well, Nick is a friend of mine…." Rosalee's words trailed off at Adalind's incredulous look.

"You're friends…with _the Grimm_ ," Adalind would have laughed if she wasn't so scared, "You run a shop that specializes in helping wesen…and you're friends…..with the Grimm."

Adalind's eyes start darting around the shop, suddenly suspicious of every shadow and cabinet in the place. Never knew when a Grimm would jump out at you….

"Nobody is going to hurt you here," Rosalee put her hands in mock surrender, "I'll even try and help you if I can, although I am not sure I should after what happened to Hank and Wu."

"Are you serious?" Adalind had the same incredulous look on her face, and the fear had given way completely to disbelief, "You know he's a Grimm, right? You know, executioners born and bred to kill people like you and me…especially me, but I am sure they have taken a Fuchsbau out here and there, too. Everything I have been doing has been to try and keep the Grimm under control!"

Rosalee noticed that the look Adalind was now giving her was one of almost betrayal. She had to admit to herself that the friendship she and Monroe had cultivated with Nick was at best unconventional…and at worst totally against the nature of the wesen world.

"It's…..complicated," Rosalee said defensively, crossing her arms. She and Adalind stared at each other for a few beats, and then Rosalee finally dropped her arms and continued, "Look, Nick is…different. He doesn't kill indiscriminately, he actually listens and tries to understand the underlying issues before make a decision."

"For which he gets to act as judge, jury and executioner," Adalind replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "You can see how comforted I am by that thought, especially now that I am pretty much incapable of defending myself against him."

"But he wouldn't hurt you now! Especially now that you aren't, you know, what you were." Rosalee assured her quickly.

"But don't you see…..I am losing everything!" Adalind cried, "My mother disowned me, my…kinda…sorta… boyfriend left me, I work for a wesen law firm, so I have no idea if they will want me to continue…everything I was, I'm not anymore. I am nothing."

Adalind started to cry again and Rosalee's natural instinct was to comfort her. She walked to Adalind and pulled her into a hug and let her cry everything out.

And that is exactly how Nick found them when he walked into the shop five minutes later.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews, favorites and follows - it helps keep the creativity flowing knowing that people are enjoying the story as much as I am enjoying writing it! I am so glad there are so many Nadalind lovers out there...

I will try and update at least once or twice a week

CHAPTER TWO

Nick wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real, or perhaps another element of the delusional madness he seemed to have brought down on himself the previous night. Maybe he had a fever…..or a previously undiagnosed mental condition.

Rosalee caught his eye and widened her eyes slightly, indicating with her head that he should make himself scarce and head to the back room. He sent a glare back at her, but followed her silent command and walked out of Adalind's immediate vicinity.

Nick sat in the comfortable chair in the corner of the crowded backroom, blowing out a sigh of frustration as he weighed the possible ramifications of going back into the shop and throttling Adalind….or perhaps dragging her to the nearest bed to rid himself of the desire curling in his gut. He dismissed both ideas quickly, instead focusing on the conversation that was now taking place just outside the door.

"I'm so sorry…..you don't even know me and here I am, crying all over you," he heard Adalind's apology, the words sounding tired and resigned, and he felt a twist of guilt over what had occurred over the past 24 hours. While he couldn't regret doing what he needed to do to save his partner, he seemed to have missed some very crucial side effects and ramifications of his actions.

He heard the jingle as someone else entered the shop and was relieved to hear Monroe's voice.

"Hey Rosalee, you would NOT believe the antique watch that someone brought me today….oh, sorry, didn't know you had a customer. I'll just head into the back." Rosalee didn't stop him, so when Monroe saw him sitting in the corner, he held his finger up to his mouth to keep Monroe from drawing attention to the fact that he was there.

Nick motioned to Monroe to follow him to the basement, and they quietly made their way down the stairs.

"What's with all the secrecy, man?" Monroe asked with a furrowed brow, "does Rosalee know you're here?"

Ya, she does," Nick answered with a distracted wave of his hand, "she's the one that sent me to the back while she took care of her customer."

"Well, it does look pretty serious, whatever that poor girl is dealing with," Monroe looked towards the stairs with sympathy, "She was a mess."

"It's Adalind," Nick said in a hushed voice.

"What's Adalind," Monroe asked in the same hushed tone.

"The customer!" Nick said impatiently, raising his voice slightly.

"Oh….oh!," Monroe caught on, "Well that's an interesting development. And she doesn't know you're down here….or that Rosalee is your friend. This could get awkward."

"You think?" Nick was getting frustrated. They needed a resolution to this problem. Perhaps this was a fortuitous meeting. They could talk this out in a neutral place, with other people there to keep him from wringing her neck….or ripping her clothes off. Both options were appealing for very different reasons, but neither was a solution.

"I need you guys," Nick said to Monroe, "I need you to keep the peace between us so we can try and figure out what happened when I took her powers."

"I suppose now that she isn't a hexenbiest anymore, she's a bit less intimidating," Monroe said, shifting on his feet nervously, "although, any woman scorned is pretty frightening, but ya, of course man, whatever you need."

Nick smiled briefly in thanks, then took a deep breath, "Let's head back upstairs. I think some introductions are in order."

%%%%%

Adalind dried her tears and took a deep breath. She had come here for answers and perhaps she could still find some – if this Rosalee already knew what had happened to her, maybe she would be able to help her find some resolutions to this mess.

Before she could formulate the question, though, she sensed movement behind her and turned to its source. Her gasp caught in her throat and for a moment she couldn't breathe .

"Hello Adalind," Nick said, keeping a safe distance between them.

Nick watched in interest as the various emotions played across her features – fear, disbelief, anger….desire. He quirked a brow at her, and her lips pressed together in a firm line, the desire stamped out quickly by the anger.

"Here to finish me off?" She asked defiantly, "Shouldn't be too hard since I have no way to defend myself and you're a Grimm….not to mention your friend the Fuchsbau over here, and this guy" she pointed at Monroe, "…and you're a…?"

"Monroe…uh, oh, you want to know WHAT I am. Blutbad, actually," Monroe answered quickly, then continued, "well reformed, so I am weider blutbad, so I don't actually hunt or eat meat…but I guess you don't really need to know all that…." He trailed off.

Adalind's mouth gaped open, "Well of course you are," she said and a small hysterical laugh escaped her mouth, "A freaking Blutbad, Fuchsbau and Grimm….I don't understand. How did this happen?" She waved her arm indicating the three individuals standing in front of her, the incredulity not leaving her voice.

"You know what, never mind, I don't really care," Adalind held her hands up and closed her eyes, "all I really care about is what happened to me when _**HE**_ took my powers last night. I don't understand what I'm…feeling."

Rosalee glanced nervously at Nick before turning back to Adalind, "We've been looking into the side effects, too, although mostly the side effects to the Grimm…"

"Oh, so you have side effects, too," Adalind shifted her gaze to Nick, her lips curving into a small smile, "I guess there is a small amount of comfort I can take from that."

Nick's eyes held hers and she cocked her head slightly at what she saw there – something she didn't immediately recognize, but when she did, her breath caught slightly, and she felt drawn to him. The very air between them seemed to come alive. She took a step forward, but before she could make any further progress, Rosalee stepped in front of her, breaking the eye contact between them. She gave herself a mental shake, before speaking.

"So, I guess we have a similar…side effect," Adalind said quietly.

"Apparently," Nick replied flatly.

"And we are working on the reason for that," Rosalee said, drawing Adalind's attention back to her.

"Tell me what you've found." Adalind replied

%%%%%

Nick stayed largely out of the way over the next few hours, watching Rosalee and Adalind work together to try and determine what had happened, why, and how they could potentially fix it. Under normal circumstances, he would have been impressed with Adalind's intelligence and knowledge of the subject matter. However, under these particular circumstances, he found the easy and relaxed manner she had with Rosalee disconcerting. He was having trouble reconciling this Adalind with the one that had been making his life miserable.

He supposed it was also partly this "side effect" that was making him feel something less than contempt for her, but he had to admit that seeing Adalind as a person, not just an adversary, was an interesting experience.

"Why did you try to kill my aunt," Nick didn't know he was going to ask the question until it was out of his mouth. Three pairs of eyes swung to him with varying degrees of surprise, but he couldn't regret the question.

Adalind looked at him for a moment, as if trying to decide what she wanted to tell him.

"Well, I suppose there is no harm in telling you everything now," Adalind started, "since all my hard work was rewarded with a slammed door in my face."

Adalind sat down and seemed to gather her strength. She took a deep breath before talking.

"Word of Marie Kessler's arrival in Portland made its way through our community pretty quickly," She began, her eyes going to Monroe and Rosalee as she said the words, "especially, MY community – hexenbiests, not that there are a lot of us. As you all well know, Grimms and hexenbiests are the most adversarial in our world."

When no one contradicted her, she pressed on, "So there was a general sense of kill or be killed among us…"

"Really?" Nick said, unbelieving, "your entire community was worried about one woman….my dying aunt?"

"You're talking as if you have no idea what your aunt is capable of," Adalind retorted in defense, "she was a Grimm! She spent a lifetime killing wesen, killing hexenbiests!"

Nick shifted uncomfortably, "That's just not how I knew her…." He trailed off

"How long have you known about becoming a Grimm?" She asked, the reality of the situation finally dawning on her.

"Since the day I saw you woge outside the coffee shop," Nick admitted.

"Oh…..well, that explains some of this," Adalind answered, "So you haven't really had anyone to teach you about our world, have you?"

"Monroe and Rosalee fill in a lot of the blanks for me," Nick told her impatiently, "but I think we are getting off track here. You were telling me about my aunt."

"Right," Adalind said, looking at him a little differently now, "well, once we knew that she was in Portland, a plan was devised to get to her before she could get to us. Having one Grimm in Portland was more than enough."

"Wait, you knew that I was a Grimm before Marie got here?" Nick asked.

"Well, not me specifically, but the Royal in Portland knew, or at least he had his suspicions, given your lineage," Adalind replied, looking at him like he should know what she was talking about.

"The _**what**_ in Portland?" Nick looked at her incredulously.

"You don't know about the royal?" Adalind looked at Nick, then at Monroe and Rosalee, "Do any of you have any idea what I am talking about?"

"Well, ya, in a very vague, sort of, bigger picture sense of things," Monroe said defensively, "we don't exactly travel in those circles."

"So you do know about the Royals and their history with Grimms? Their partnership, for lack of a better word?" Adalind looked at Monroe expectantly, "Didn't you tell him any of it?"

"Well, it seemed like we had more pressing matters to tend to, like, not getting maimed or killed by the local wesen community," Monroe replied sarcastically, "figured we could leave the European history lesson for AFTER he knew...I don't know, what a Reinigen or a Jagerbar was."

Adalind sighed again and continued, "Well, for centuries, the Grimms and the Royals have had a bit of an..uneasy alliance with Grimms. To try and control wesen, and to ensure that any wesen led uprising would be quickly stamped out."

"This is fascinating, but do you think you can narrow this down to the here and now, and how it affects me and my family?" Nick asked impatiently.

Adalind looked at him for a long moment, considering her options. She realized that the information that she held was the only thing she could use to protect herself – perhaps she shouldn't be giving this information as freely as she had started.

"The Royal in Portland wants to control you," Adalind said slowly, "mold you for his own purpose – part of that plan included eliminating your Aunt, who would be able to give you information about your Grimm heritage. The Royal would want you to be a blank slate, a lump of clay that could be molded for a specific purpose."

"And just who is this Royal?" Nick asked, "I'm assuming it's someone I already know?"

"Oh, it is," Adalind responded, smiling coyly. "The questions is how bad you want to know who it is…"

She let her words trail off as he looked at her, surprised that she was withholding the information.

"Oh, come on Nick, you think I was just going to spill my guts and then let you kill me after I had served my purpose?" Adalind bit out, the smile leaving her face, "I may have lost my hexenbiest, but I didn't lose my damn mind. I have information you need, and as long as I hold that information, I'm valuable to you."

He closed the distance between them in two steps.

"Look, Adalind…" Nick started, putting a calming hand on her arm as he looked at her. He knew as soon as he touched her that it was a mistake. His entire hand seemed to tingle with electricity. He could feel her skin beneath the thin silk shirt that she was wearing. His eyes met hers, and he could see his reaction mirrored in her own eyes.

Adalind could feel the warmth radiate from his hand radiate to the rest of her body. She reached her hand out and put it against his chest, felt the rapid beating of his heart. She took a step closer to him, so they were toe to toe. She lifted her hand from his chest and rested it against his cheek.

"What is happening to us?" She asked softly, her voice tinged with longing and fear.

"I don't know," Nick answered honestly, closing his eyes and turning his face slightly into her hand, "But I'm not sure I want it to stop…."

"But it might be best for everyone if you did…" Monroe's voice in his ear was enough to bring Nick back to reality, even as his heart considered to thunder inside his chest. He took one last look at Adalind, and stepped away.

Adalind watched in fascination as his reclaimed control of himself, the desire in his eyes becoming a banked fire, not quite extinguished. She wished she had that much possession of self as she tried to tear her gaze from him. Instead, she let out a noise of frustration and stamped her foot, well aware that she likely resembled a petulant child whose treat had been taken from them.

"This is unbearable!" she moaned, as she flopped on to the nearest chair, throwing her arm over eyes.

"You're being awfully dramatic," Nick retorted and she lifted her arm just enough to glare at him through one eye.

"Considering everything that has happened in the last 24 hours, I have to disagree…I've lost my wesen form, my sorta-boyfriend, my mother, maybe my job…." she trailed off, and sighed, "I could really use some wine."

"Oh! I have a great red that I have been dying to try!" Monroe jumped up, "and I just happened to bring it with me, although I didn't know you two would be here…not that it's a bad thing, or anything…" he trailed off helplessly before shrugging and walking off in search of wine glasses.

"Not exactly used to socializing, is he?" Adalind observed with a hint of sarcasm.

"What did you mean your 'sorta-boyfriend'? Hank?" Nick drew her gaze back to him with his question and she shook her head.

"No, Hank was never anything to me," she replied, and her flippant reply reminded Nick of why he despised her - just in time, too, as he had felt his feeling for her soften over the last few hours.

Noticing the narrowing of his eyes, Adalind sighed, "It was just another order from the Royal, Nick. And honestly, I don't mean anything to Hank, either. All of his feelings were a result of the love potion, none of it was real. The royal just wanted to use Hank to get to you, so he could get the key. He told me the best way to a man's soul is through his friends. I didn't enjoy it…."

"But you would have killed him!" Nick said heatedly.

"No...well, probably…but I wouldn't have felt good about it!" Adalind exclaimed, feelings of remorse and guilt hitting her for one of the first times in her life, "at least, I don't feel good about it now, as just a human. As a hexenbiest….." She let the sentence hang, knowing they all knew how to finish that sentence, she sighed wearily, resigned to her new feelings, "To be honest, it never really occurred to me that you wouldn't save Hank. I really am sorry that things went this far, Nick. You may not believe me, but it's the truth."

He acknowledged the sincerity in her voice, with a slight incline of his head, but wasn't able to give her any further reassurance.

"So the 'sorta-boyfriend' is…" Nick pressed the question.

"The royal, of course," Adalind answered, "would I risk so much for anything less than that?"

Monroe returned with four glasses of wine, but Nick shook his head, his body still recovering from the unprecedented amount of alcohol that he had consumed the previous night. He sat and watched as Adalind took a drink and closed her eyes in pleasure, his mind immediately picturing her eyes closed in pleasure for very different reasons. He allowed himself to indulge his fantasy while Adalind and Monroe discussed the intricacies of the wine they were drinking. He let his gaze wander down the soft curve of her neck, where her shirt gaped open slightly and he could see the juncture where her slender neck met her shoulder, imagined putting his mouth there, biting down gently, marking her, making her as his…..

"Nick!" his head snapped up and he realized Rosalee was standing directly in front of him, a look of concern on her face.

"We kinda lost you there for a minute, buddy," Monroe said, although his half amused tone seemed to indicate he was well aware of where Nick's mind had wandered.

"Sorry," Nick said, embarrassed. He cleared his throat and met Adalind's all too knowing gaze, "what else are you willing to tell us about the royal?"

"Well, the most interesting thing you should know is that while he is technically a royal, he is a bastard royal, and somewhat estranged from his family, depending on who you ask," Adalind replied conversationally, tucking her feet up under her on the chair, getting comfortable as she talked, "he also works with the resistance, at least when it serves his purpose, which is part of the reason having a Grimm on his side would be so helpful. As I mentioned earlier, the royal family values Grimms."

"The resistance?" Nick asked, feeling out of his element.

Adalind nodded as she took a sip of her wine, "Yes, they are known as The Laufer, and work to ensure that the royal families don't attain their former power. Not to fond of Grimms, either, for their work with the royals."

"So, he's playing both sides…" Nick replied slowly.

"Always," Adalind responded emphatically, "and he wants you to play along, too. Thus all the subterfuge to get you in his pocket."

Adalind took another long drink from her glass before she continued.

"He's also half zauberbiest, which is another thing he keeps very well hidden - his mother is a hexenbiest, and his father is king. As you can imagine there were quite a few people unhappy about that particular situation. His mother took him on the run because the royals wanted to eliminate them, but, as you know, hexenbiests are highly intelligent and talented. She managed to keep them at bay, and now the bastard, half zauberbiest royal is here, in Portland, and looking to get a Grimm as a pet. Especially a Grimm that has one of the seven keys"

Adalind's last sentence had Nick sitting up straighter in his seat.

"What do you know about the keys," he asked her, unable to hide his excitement.

"Not a lot," Adalind admitted, "just that there are seven keys forged by the seven knights...for the seven royal families. I assume that they lead to something important, but I honestly don't think anyone knows exactly what it is, just that it's valuable…it's been 800 years or so since it was buried, so who knows."

Nick took a few moments to digest this information. He hated to admit it, but it was nice to have someone that was seemingly so knowledgeable about the bigger picture issues he was facing. Those warm feelings started to crowd in again, and he had to remind himself of all the trouble she had caused.

"So how do I know that you're not still working with this so called 'royal'?," Nick demanded, determined to continue to be wary of her duplicitous nature.

Adalind looked at him for a beat, then pulled out her phone. Before Nick knew quite what was happening, he could hear the faint ringing on the other end. And then a man's voice. She didn't put the phone on speaker, so the voice wasn't recognizable when they other person answered, but he could understand most of what he was saying.

"Hi there," Adalind said into the phone, her voice fakely pleasant.

"Adalind, good to hear from you. Where are you?" the voice said quietly.

"I'm with the Grimm," Adalind smugly replied, a smile curving her lips as she continued to maintain eye contact with Nick, "we were just having a very interesting conversation…...about you,"

"What have you done?" Nick sensed that the man was losing a bit of his cool, but he didn't step in, waiting to see where Adalind was going with this conversation.

"Oh, I was just letting him in on some of the things that have been going on, you know, the royal families, the keys, you…." Adalind let the last bit hang in the air.

"You didn't..."

"No, not yet, but it's only a matter of time before I tell him everything. I mean, after last night, I assumed that it was all over between us," Adalind continued, her voice practically purring into the phone, "you thought I was useless to you…..but here's the thing, _**your highness**_ , I am of value to the Grimm."

"Adalind," the man's voice held a warning tone, but Adalind wasn't done.

"The Grimm and I are in this together now, and I won't let you continue to take advantage of the situation," Adalind said with a menace that took Nick aback, "you underestimated him and you underestimated me. The power we will wield together will be beyond anything you've known. You may want to go talk to one of your many contacts about what actually happens when a hexenbiest ingests the blood of a Grimm."

With that, she hung up on the man and calmly put her phone down. Nick wasn't sure what to make of what just happened, but one thing he did know was that Adalind had just put herself in the line of fire, and he was the only one who could protect her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N -** Thank you so much for all the reviews - it is much appreciated!

I have never written anything for the 'supernatural' genre, so I struggled a bit with some of the spell/magic pieces, but hopefully I got across what needed to be said. I love Nadalind too much not to write for them!

Also, I did throw in some German, so apologies in advance to any German speakers that may be reading - my high school German is a bit out of date, and google translate can only do so much ;)

 **Enjoy!**

 **CHAPTER THREE**

"Still think I'm working with the royal?" Adalind asked Nick, hands on hips and a triumphant smile on her face.

"You could have set that all up for my benefit," Nick replied cynically, "This could have been the plan from the start."

Adalind threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"I don't know what else I need to do!" She said in frustration, her voice raising an octave.

"Tell me who the royal is, Adalind." Nick said quietly, "If what you just did was genuine, you've just put yourself in danger. The only way I can protect you is if I know who is a threat."

All the fight went out of Adalind at his words, her eyes softening as she looked at him, with what looked suspiciously like hope.

"You want to protect me?" Adalind sounded genuinely surprised, and Nick had to wonder for a moment about her previous life. Had anyone ever offered to take care of her? Had anyone needed to, considering what she had been?

"Well, want may be a strong word," Nick replied, "but I generally make it a habit to protect those who stick their neck out for me. And I **_think_** that's what you just did, right?"

Adalind looked thoughtful for a moment, but then nodded, "Ya, I suppose so, but I did it for me, too. I need you to believe what I'm saying, and that I'm on your side. The only way out of this mess we're in is for us to work together."

"Agreed," Nick said, "which is why you need to tell me the name of the Royal. If you want me to trust you, you need to trust me. I promise that I won't hurt you….as long as you don't give me a reason to," he finished with a half smile.

"That's fair," Adalind replied, "and I promise that I won't betray your trust in me…..as long as you don't give **_me_** a reason to."

"A Grimm and a hexenbiest….who would have thought," Monroe said, and Nick, who would momentarily forgot that they weren't alone, looked at him, "well, a former hexenbiest, I guess, but if any Grimm can make it work, it's you." Monroe gave him a thumbs up and what he probably thought was a reassuring smile.

Nick heaved a heavy sigh, and then turned back to Adalind.

"Who is the royal?" he repeated the question to Adalind and he could sense that she was still a bit hesitant.

"It might be a bit of a shock to you, Nick," Adalind started cautiously, and he realized her hesitation was more about her worry over his reaction than any lingering trust issues.

"Story of my life," Nick murmured, he walked over to where she stood, standing as close as he dared without touching her, "don't worry, Adalind, nothing really surprises me anymore."

"Ok," Adalind took a deep breath, and then let it out in a rush, along with her words, "It's your captain, Sean Renard."

%%%%%

Sean set down his phone with a calm he didn't actually feel. Everything was falling apart, and he had no one to blame but himself. He had underestimated not only the Grimm, but Adalind, as well. It had never even occurred to him that she would go to the Grimm. He had thought she would tuck her tail between her legs and leave the state, if not the country.

Generations of deeply instilled fear and hatred should have prevented her from seeking out the Grimm…..so what had happened? Where had he miscalculated?

He stood and started to pace the room, his mind racing. Adalind had been clear - she was on the verge of telling Nick the truth, and once that happened, any chance he had of getting Nick on his side would likely be gone. Unless he could convince Nick that it was in all of their best interests to align himself with Sean.

Sean knew just how persuasive Adalind could be when she wanted to, although he wondered if the loss of her hexenbiest abilities would detract from her allure. He doubted it.

Adalind had suggested that he look into what happened when the blood of a Grimm took the powers of a hexenbiest. He knew of only one person who had enough knowledge and power to be able to answer that question. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

%%%%%

Nick felt like he had been kicked in the gut. He supposed it was better that it was his captain, and not a friend, like Hank or Wu, but it still hurt. He trusted and looked up to the captain... a lot. He had seemed to be genuinely concerned when Aunt Marie had been attacked, but now it would seem he was behind a fairly intricate plot to have her killed. Not to mention that he had orchestrated the plan to, potentially, kill Hank, one of their own! It was too much. He needed to sit down.

"I asked Sean once why he didn't want me to go after you directly," he heard Adalind say, "It was because he knows how much you care about your friends and knew it was a sure fire way to control you."

Nick didn't answer her, or acknowledge what she had said. He needed more time to process this information, to understand what this meant for him, his career...pretty much everything in his life.

He could sense Adalind's discomfort with his continued silence, and she started to babble, "I mean, it's better that you know, right? Imagine what could have happened if things had continued. At least now you know the kind of person he is and you can decide how you want to deal with him. You're on equal footing now."

"Ya, she's right, man," Monroe came and sat next to him, "I mean, now that we know, we can all figure out how this situation should play out."

"And since he doesn't know if Adalind has told you yet, you can act as if nothing has changed until you're ready to confront him," Rosalee added, "if you think you can keep up the act around him, that is."

Nick half snorted and half laughed, "If I could keep being a Grimm from Juliette for this long, I'm sure I can keep it together around Renard."

"Good, then for right now, let's concentrate on what's going on with the two of you, and maybe work out the big picture stuff later."

Nick knew that they were trying to placate him and take his mind off the betrayal of his captain. He tried not to resent it, knowing that it came from a good place. He sighed and turned his attention back to Adalind.

"What have you and Rosalee found?" From the tightening of her expression, he knew it wasn't much.

"You mean besides the fact that I am your soulmate," she fluttered her eyelashes obviously at him and he gave her a look of amused warning.

"Adalind…."

"Ok, ok…..for some reason, when I ingested your blood, a bond was created between us," Adalind started, she hesitated, took another drink and then indicated to Monroe that she needed a refill, "the mentions of this particular phenomenon in Rosalee's books are rather scarce, and not particularly helpful, but the basic gist is that the desire we are feeling is a result of this bond. The spell is cast when the blood is ingested by the hexenbiest. What I can tell you is that while blood magic is very powerful, this particular spell is not particularly complicated. The only effect is to draw two people together, but none of this tells us **_why_** the bond is created…..."

Adalind took a long drink of her wine, and Rosalee picked up the hanging thread of the conversation.

"There is some evidence that we have found that seems to indicate that the desire will dissipate once you relieve it…." Rosalee looked slightly embarrassed, and trailed off.

"I was kinda avoiding that one," Adalind said sarcastically.

"We just don't have anything that indicates what happens AFTER that," Rosalee continued, "if there are any repercussions to indulging in the desire."

"Well, like I said, the spell itself isn't complicated," Adalind added, "and normally would be broken fairly easily by the joining of the parties, but because of the unique way it was cast, we can't know what side effects may result. The truth is, it may have never happened before."

"Seems to be a common theme," Nick replied, "never knowing exactly what is going to happen next."

Rosalee smiled apologetically, but didn't offer anything further.

"There may be someone else we can ask…" Adalind offered, drinking down the last of her wine.

"Who?" Nick asked, and they all looked at her expectantly.

"Well, she is more Sean's friend then mine, to be honest, but I think she would still help, if I asked," Adalind didn't seem overly sure of herself, but continued, "her name is Henrietta...she's a hexenbiest. A really smart and powerful one. She knows a lot of our history and culture, so she may have heard of this before."

Nick looked down at his watch and sighed. They had been at this all day, and while he had gained some valuable information, they hadn't really gotten any closer to fixing the problems between him and Adalind. Evening was approaching, and he needed a plan, at least for the immediate future.

"We've done a lot for today," He said to Adalind, "maybe you can try and set up a meet for tomorrow?"

Adalind nodded slowly, "I should be able to do that," she replied, "I've had about as much as I can take for today, so I think I will just head home. I'll let you know after I talk to her when we can go meet her tomorrow."

"Adalind, you can't go back to your place," Nick said, a bit of condescension in his voice. She turned to him, her eyebrows raised in question, so he continued, "with that phone call, you put yourself right in the line of fire with some very dangerous people. I can't just let you just go home, unprotected."

Adalind's eyes flared dangerously, "you can't **_let me_** go home? I don't really require your permission."

Nick dragged a weary hand over his face. Why did everything have to be so difficult?

"I just meant that with danger lurking, and your powers….gone, I don't want you to be left without any defenses," Nick said carefully, "I want to help you, if you'll let me."

Adalind's eyes softened at his words, and Nick wondered again if anyone had ever taken care of her before, or if she had always taken care of herself.

"I appreciate that," Adalind replied, then sighed, "I guess I could go to a hotel, but I would have to use my name….I'm not really sure what other options I have. All of my **_friends_** know Sean and my mother already told me I'm useless, so…" She looked at him a little helplessly.

He already knew what he would have to do. No way he was leaving her with his friends and putting them at risk. This was his responsibility, and he needed to take care of it.

"You can stay with me," he replied, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

"That's the first place he'll look for me!" Adalind protested, "he knows that I'm with you!"

"But at least if he does try something, I'll be there to protect you," Nick countered, "anywhere else, you would be defenseless."

"You could give me a gun," She replied, smiling sweetly.

"No, I couldn't," he replied with feeling.

"She could stay with me," Monroe offered, stepping forward, "I mean, given ALL the circumstances, maybe that would be the best place for her."

Adalind nodded in agreement, "Not to mention your girlfriend may not like having me around."

"Juliette and I aren't together anymore," Nick threw out as casually as he could, as three eyes widened in surprise as they looked at him, "It just wasn't working out with all the Grimm stuff going on….and no, I don't really want to talk about it."

An awkward silence hung in the room for several seconds.

"Well, I still think it might be better for Adalind to stay with Monroe," Rosalee said, breaking the tension, "I can stay there, too, if that helps."

"I appreciate that, but I don't want to put you two in any more danger," Nick replied. He was loathe to admit that there was a part of him, deep down, that didn't want to let Adalind out of his sight. Her presence here today had tamped down the rampant desire that he had been feeling, inexplicably making it easier to reign it in and control. It was only when he touched her...he closed his eyes at the thought, the desire making itself known again. The simple truth was that her nearness made the desire bearable. If he could just manage to keep a safe distance between them, perhaps they could work their way out of this without doing anything **_too_** stupid.

"Nick's right," he heard Adalind say softly, and he turned to look at her, their eyes met and he could see that she understood. It disconcerted him, this ability to understand each other without speaking.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Monroe and Rosalee exchange a worried look, and he smiled in spite of the situation.

"Don't worry," he said with amused sarcasm, "we'll behave ourselves." He grabbed his jacket, and Adalind followed his lead out the door.

He pretended not to hear Adalind mutter "speak for yourself" under her breath.

%%%%%

Sean made his way quickly up the steps and made three sharp raps on the door. It only took a moment for the door to open, a smile on the face of the beautiful, graceful woman in front of him.

"Sean, it's always a pleasure to see you…" she took a step back to allow him to pass, and then closed the door behind him.

"Thank you for seeing me, Henrietta," Sean replied, pacing nervously.

"Of course," she answered smoothly, "how can I help you?"

Sean stopped pacing and sat heavily on the couch in Henrietta's living room. He rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes and then looked back up at her.

"It's Adalind," Sean started, "something has….happened to her."

Henrietta continued to look at him expectantly, and he took a deep breath.

"The Grimm...he was able to get his blood in her," Sean said with the shake of his head, "I still don't understand how he knew to do that."

"And there's more…." Henrietta said with a knowing look.

"Yes, she called me earlier and said she's with the Grimm," Sean shook his head, still baffled by the development, "I don't why, or how, that happened. She should be running scared - she has no way to protect herself from him."

Henrietta looked thoughtful for a moment, a hint of smile at the corner of her mouth. She walked over to a bookshelf that held several old volumes. To the naked eye, they looked like any other aged texts, but as she ran her hand across them, looking for a particular volume, their spines turned bright colors, and the titles appeared in bright relief. Finally finding what she was looking for, she pulled a thick book off the shelf, placing it on the table in front of the couch. She woged and touched her index finger to the lock, which immediately popped open. She thumbed through the yellowed pages until she found what she was looking for, giving a little hum of satisfaction as she read.

Sean watched with a mixture of interest and impatience as Henrietta continued to read. He tapped his foot, then stood to pace once more.

"This is very interesting," Henrietta said, almost to herself. She looked up at Sean excitedly, "it could be the 'Die Schönheit im Biest.'"

Sean continued to look at her expectantly, and she turned the book towards him.

"Loosely translated, it means 'the beauty within the beast'," Henrietta continued, "It doesn't happen every time Grimm blood is passed to a hexenbiest, but it is possible that when he killed the hexenbiest within Adalind, a spell was cast over both of them. The effect of this spell is a consuming desire for one another, to be near each other. The spell wants the Grimm and former Hexenbiest to come together."

"To what end?" Sean asked, his anxiety briefly replaced with curiosity, "What does this hope to achieve?"

"If the Grimm and the former Hexenbiest fall in love, the powers of the former hexenbiest will be restored, but in a more powerful form - she will become a weißehexe….a white witch. They are said to be beautiful witches, even in their woged form."

"A white witch?" Sean looked at her incredulously, "I've never heard of such a thing."

"Well, you wouldn't," Henrietta replied easily, "it has never happened before, at least as far as I know. Grimms have killed the hexenbiest spirit with their blood only a handful of times, but there is little evidence that the Die Schönheit im Biest has ever been cast before. If it has happened, the Grimm has likely killed her, perhaps thinking the spell of desire has been cast by the former witch to drive the Grimm mad. But from what I understand, your Grimm is different….."

Sean nodded slowly, "Yes, he would never kill Adalind now that he believes her defenseless. And he is just compassionate enough to believe her when she says the spell, or whatever it is, is not of her making."

"Of course, all this means is that they are together," Henrietta said, "the spell cannot make them fall in love. As you know, there is no spell capable of creating actual love - only physical desire, sometimes obsession, if we so desire."

"Yes, I'm aware," Sean replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"The spell's intent is to bring them together, physically," Henrietta continued, "but the Grimm and Adalind would have to fall in love of their own volition for the weißeHexe to emerge."

Sean snorted, "And that will never happen."

"Probably not," Henrietta replied, and Sean thought he heard a hint of disappointment in her voice, "and it is why there is no record of it ever happening before. What Grimm could love a witch, even one stripped of their power. But if he could, the power they would have….."

She looked wistful, and Sean shifted uncomfortably.

"I think we can agree that giving Adalind and the Grimm this kind of power would be a mistake," Sean said meaningfully to Henrietta, "Do you know how to break the current spell?"

Henrietta seemed to collect herself before replying, "Of course, it's a simple enough thing. When they indulge in their desire, the spell will be broken. Or if one of them dies…."

"If they come to you…." Sean trailed off, giving her an expectant look.

"I will tell them how to break the spell that is causing their desire, but nothing more," Henrietta replied, "But, Sean, if they fall in love on their own…."

"I don't think there is any chance of that." He said, making his way to the door. He turned back to her, "Remember, not a word about the weißehexe, Henrietta. Let me know when it's done."

"Sean….you have to realize," Henrietta called out to him as he walked out the door, "this could help bring some balance to our world, some peace…"

She trailed off as he turned back to her, his face a cold mask framed by the darkness around him.

"I'm not really interested in peace." He turned away from her and walked down the steps to his car.

Henrietta nodded to herself, and then closed the door behind him. She leaned heavily against the door, and sighed.

%%%%%

Nick finally pulled up in front of his house, Adalind sitting in contemplative silence next to him. She had insisted on taking her car to her house first, insisting there was no way that she was going to leave her vehicle in "that" neighborhood. Then she needed to get a few things from her place if she was going to stay with him. He had just about worked through all the patience that he had left that day, and was thinking about dropping her off at Sean Renard's house to do with as he would, but then he noticed the anxiety and worry around her eyes, and sighed in resignation. As much as he wanted to continue to hate her, he just didn't have it in him to throw her to the wolves…..at least not yet.

"I like your house," she said softly as he opened the door, "it kinda reminds me of my grandparent's place."

"Thanks," Nick said, unsure of how to proceed, "let me show you the guest room." He took her upstairs and opened the door to the guest room. She stepped around him and into the room, sitting on the bed and bouncing lightly. He willed himself not to take a step into the room.

"You know, Nick," Adalind said in that flirtatious voice that he had gotten to know so well, "I always thought that if things were different between us, we could have a lot of fun."

"Things are definitely different," he replied in a strangled voice. He took a step back and shook his head, "I don't want to do this, Adalind, not when we don't know what the repercussions could be…."

"Poor Nick…." Adalind purred, "always so careful. Haven't you ever done something just because you wanted to do it?"

She had reached him by then, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot. He watched, mesmerized, as she ran her hands slowly up his torso, moving gently against his neck, before burying them in the soft hairs at the nape of his neck. She went up on her toes, her mouth grazing over his jaw.

"I rarely deny myself something I want," Adalind continued, her words whispered in a warm breath against his ear. His hands seemed to move of their own volition, running up her arms and into her hair, pulling her mouth to his. The relief was almost instantaneous and he moaned into her mouth, deepening the kiss. But just as he was about to give himself over to her completely, a final shred of reality slipped through, and the harsh slap of betrayal had him pulling away from her.

What the hell was he doing? This was the woman that had poisoned his partner and left him for dead. Not to mention Wu getting caught up in her spell. And his Aunt! She had tried to kill her while she lay defenseless in a hospital bed!

He took two steps back from her and saw the look of confusion on her face. Her lips were slightly swollen from their kiss, her hair mussed. The desire still ran rampant, but he couldn't allow himself to give in, not after everything.

"This isn't happening," Nick said, his breathing ragged and irregular. Adalind looked at him for a beat, her look of confusion giving way to a mocking smile, although he hadn't missed the beat of hurt that he saw before her mask was firmly back in place.

"Suit yourself, Grimm," she replied, pushing him one more step out the door, before slamming it in his face.

%%%%%

Adalind walked calmly over to the bed and picked up one of the pillows, held it up to her face, and screamed. Then she threw the pillow across the room in anger. If she still had her powers, she would have brought down the entire house in her frustration. Of course, if she was still a hexenbiest, she wouldn't be in this situation. It was all the Grimm's fault. Okay, so maybe she had provoked him to do what he had done, and she did have to give him a bit of grudging respect for figuring out how to take her powers in the first place. Turns out there was more to this Grimm than she had originally thought.


	4. Chapter 4

As always, thank you for the reviews and comments.

One individual asked how Henrietta would know about the "white witch" if it had never happened before, which is a good question. I think maybe it would fall into the category of prophecy - its been foretold. I will try and work more about that into the story in the future.

So here is the next chapter, or as I like to call it "the chapter where Adalind and Nick talk...a lot." I don't have a lot of interest in writing them as angry enemies, so communication is very important ;) I've also used some of their lines from the show, since a lot of those scenes will never take place in this AU.

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

Nick stared at the slammed door for a moment, then turned on his heel and headed downstairs. It was for the best, he told himself. He would rather have her angry then passionate. Anger he could handle. As for the passion….well, he could only turn her down so many times before he would eventually give in to the temptation.

Nick sat on the couch and put his head in his hands, wondering when his life had gone so completely off the rails. It didn't seem that long ago that he had been a normal guy, with a normal life. A normal girlfriend. And there it was, another layer of guilt that prevented him from taking what Adalind had offered. While he had ended it with Juliette, it had been less than 24 hours since they had broken things off...it seemed disrespectful to what they had to jump into bed with another woman so soon. Granted, the circumstances were a little...unusual, but it didn't stop Nick from feeling like a complete ass.

Added to the fact that the woman had literally tried to kill Hank, and even his ever-shifting sense of morality was stretched beyond all limits. She did seem different since the hexenbiest had been killed, but Nick couldn't be convinced that easily. Only time would tell if the loss of her powers would actually make Adalind a decent human being. Frankly, he wasn't sure he was interested in finding out.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Nick wondered if he would even have a choice. She had put both of them in the Captain's line of fire, so he couldn't just cut her loose and let them have her. She had made an honest effort to tell him everything she knew about the manipulations that had been going on behind the scenes that he had no idea about. He may just be stuck with her for a while. Maybe it would be best to not be too antagonizing.

Realizing it was dinner time and he hadn't eaten all day, Nick headed to the kitchen to make a sandwich. He was in the middle of his preparations when he heard Adalind come down the back stairs. He looked up at her and gave what he hoped was a conciliatory smile. She eyed him warily as she walked into the kitchen.

"I'm….sorry," Adalind said, her face twisting into a grimace, and he could tell that the word left a bitter taste in her mouth, "about before, upstairs. I'm having some trouble reconciling my old feelings and new feelings, and I just…." her words trailed off and Nick decided to put her out of her misery.

"It's forgotten," he replied easily, committing himself to the idea of being less hostile. He changed the subject quickly, "I'm just making some sandwiches. Would you like one?"

"Sure," Adalind said slowly, "Anything would be great. I'm starving."

"Ham and cheese, ok?" He asked, "lettuce, tomato, mayo?"

"I'm allergic to tomatoes," Adalind replied.

"Good to know," Nick said, popping the tomato into his mouth. He put the finished sandwich on a plate and handed it to her. She took a bite and looked up at him with a thankful smile.

"This is really good," She said, and he tried to ignore the surprise in her voice as he smiled back at her.

"Any other allergies I should know about?" he asked in between bites, trying to keep the conversation on a light.

"Just raw tomatoes," she replied, "I can eat them cooked. I actually make a pretty good Bolognese."

"I like Bolognese," Nick said, then added, "I actually make a pretty mean marinara."

"Really, well you'll have to make it for me some time," she answered, with a smile, "let me be the judge of that."

He gave her an answering smile, and they ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Oh, I talked to Henrietta," Adalind said, "she said we could come over whenever we like….she said she would know when we were coming," Adalind rolled her eyes a bit, "she's a bit dramatic. I'll have to show you how to get there, you can't really write down the address, or put it in a GPS."

"How does that work?" Nick asked, a bit incredulous at the suggestion.

"It's a pretty easy spell, actually," Adalind said with a shrug, "especially for a hexenbiest as talented as Henrietta. Protection spells are pretty common. Hexenbiests aren't exactly without enemies."

"Especially Grimms," Nick responded, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched her nod in agreement, "you did tell her that you are bringing a Grimm, right? I'm not walking into a potential blood bath?"

"Ya, I told her," Adalind replied, licking some residual mayo off her fingers. Nick was momentarily distracted by the movement of her tongue against her finger, but his eyes snapped back up to hers when she continued, "It was weird, she didn't seem surprised that I was bringing a Grimm."

"Do you think Renard already talked with her? You did mention that she was more of his friend than yours."

"It's definitely a possibility, especially since I told him he should look into the whole Grimm-Hexenbiest situation," Adalind admitted, "We need to be wary of anything she tells us, although I know she loves being in the middle of things like this. She would love to play us off Sean. I don't think she would lie, but she may withhold if she thinks she can leverage it somehow."

"Oh great," Nick said, sending her a frustrated look, "just what we need, more non-answers."

Adalind shoved her plate away with a sigh, "Well, it will hopefully give us a little more than what we got."

"Which is pretty much nothing," he replied resignedly, "when do you want to go?"

"I'm exhausted tonight," Adalind admitted, "can it keep until the morning?"

Nick nodded and looked at her, suddenly unsure what they were supposed to do. He gestured awkwardly to the living room.

"You want to watch something, maybe a movie?" He suggested, then looked at her in amused frustration, "I have to be honest, I am not really sure what to do now about…whatever this is."

"Don't worry, I don't bite," she replied, then she smiled and continued with just a trace amount of bitterness, "Well, not anymore, anyway. Besides, my powers are gone, you could pretty much take me out at will, so…"

"Adalind, do you still think I am going to hurt you?" Nick asked, "even now, after I already stripped away your powers?"

"You're a Grimm," she replied easily, without judgment, "I don't think killing me will ever be off the table for you."

"You really believe that, don't you…." Nick was trying not to feel insulted.

Adalind regarded him silently for a moment, and he felt the weight of her stare, sure that she was coming to her own conclusions about the kind of man, the kind of Grimm, that he was. It made him slightly uncomfortable, and he shifted uneasily on his feet.

"I am trying really hard not to believe it, Nick," Adalind finally replied, "but you have to understand we are raised to fear Grimms. And Grimms are raised to kill wesen. I am trying to wrap my mind around the idea that you're different, but 28 years of indoctrination can't be overcome overnight."

"I wasn't raised to be a Grimm," Nick started, realizing that he didn't want to just tell her that he was different, but explain to her **_why_** he was different, "I think maybe my aunt was hoping that I wouldn't inherit the Grimm gene, so she kept me sheltered from it - in hindsight, not the best idea. She saw being a Grimm as a curse…"

They had worked their way into the living room and were sitting on the couch, close enough for conversation, but far enough from each other that they could control the desire that still existed between them.

"Anyway, I didn't know anything about being a Grimm," he gave her an ironic smile, "until I saw you, and even then I didn't know what I was seeing. I thought I was going crazy."

"I could understand how that might be a bit disconcerting," Adalind replied, her tone encouraging him to continue.

"Ya, well, that night my aunt came to me and started explaining everything….or at least trying to explain everything. I didn't take to it immediately, as you can probably imagine. Ultimately, though, I had to accept the reality of what she told me. I was very lucky to meet Monroe, as a reformed Blutbad, who was willing to help me out…..otherwise, I would have been on my own."

Adalind cocked her head at him, "you know, if you had been raised as a Grimm by your Aunt, you might have killed Monroe."

Nick nodded, recognizing the truth in her words, "It's still hard for me to reconcile who my aunt was and the woman that I knew. She hid all of that from me…."

"If it has made you a better Grimm, maybe it was a good thing," Adalind said reasonably, "so many wesen are just trying to live a normal life, not doing anything to hurt anyone. They don't deserve to be killed just for being different."

"I agree with you," Nick replied, and their eyes met and held for a moment, before he turned his head away, "of course, there are some wesen who aren't exactly reformed. And I have to protect people from them….."

"Like me….or at least, like I was," Adalind said with a sigh, "You would have killed me in the forest if you had needed to, right?"

"Yes," Nick answered honestly.

"That's ok," Adalind said flippantly, "I would have killed you, too."

Nick couldn't help but laugh, "we make quite the pair."

"Products of this weird world that we're a part of," Adalind replied with a shrug, before giving him a questioning look, "would you go back, if you could? To being normal?"

"Yes," Nick replied emphatically, "No…...maybe…..I don't know. It seems like a burden, but it also feels like duty. A responsibility that I now have. I just want to make sure I am doing things the right way. I'm a cop, I just can't go around killing indiscriminately. I hope I can bring a little bit more justice to this whole Grimm job."

"You mean that don't you?" Adalind said, still a bit surprised.

"I've been trying to tell you…" Nick replied with a half smile, before he looked at her with interest, "so, can a hexenbiest be reformed? Like Monroe?"

Adalind looked a bit surprised at the question at first, but then seemed to focus on something in the distance, a wistful smile on her face.

"Ya, it's definitely possible," she replied quietly, when he didn't press her further, she continued on her own, "my grandmother, actually. She's one of the kindest people I know….not that I know a lot of kind people. Anyway, my grandmother fell in love with and married a kehrseite, my grandfather, which is almost unheard of for a hexenbiest. After that, she reformed - she was able to suppress the more….unattractive qualities. You know, the vindictiveness, ruthlessness…..the general disregard for everything and everyone else. She moved in with him on his farm and never looked back. She was happier than any other hexenbiest I ever met, so I guess that tells you all you need to know about that….."

Nick took a moment to absorb that, then asked, "are you close?"

Adalind nodded, "She practically raised me after my father left my mother and me when I was four. My mother kinda lost interest in having a kid around. My grandparents took me in after that. My grandmother still taught me about being hexenbiest, but just the more sedate stuff, like potion making and telekinesis, some self defense….nothing about using our powers to hurt people, or get what we wanted."

"So what happened?," Nick asked pointedly.

"My mother happened," Adalind gave a sardonic smile, "Once my powers started to manifest when I was around twelve, I was useful again. Oh, don't get me wrong, I fought her on it, rebelled in my own way - going to law school, working at legal aid, things like that. Just tried to prove I was nothing like her, until…."

"Until..what?" Nick pressed, suddenly interested in what had made her turn to the nasty hexenbiest she had become.

"Until Sean," she said bitterly, "and isn't that just the most pathetic thing you have ever heard."

Nick shrugged, "People do all kinds of dumb things for love."

"Dumb things...sure. I think I went a little beyond dumb," Adalind sighed, putting her head in her hands, "and now that the hexenbiest is gone, all I am left with is a lot of regret. And the uncomfortable realization that it was never love - he used me to get what he wanted, and I was seduced by the power he offered me. Power is very attractive to hexenbiests and zauberbiests."

"You don't have to be a witch to want power," Nick replied.

"I suppose not," Adalind said, "but it's like an addiction for our kind. Kind of like Monroe needing to be vegan and avoid hunts…"

Nick felt a bit taken aback by her reference to his friend, but he supposed if he was honest with himself he had to know that Monroe did some very questionable things before he met him. That it was possible to change. He knew it was true of Rosalee, as well. The very big difference was that Adalind had hurt his friend and his aunt. It wasn't some abstract wrongdoing that had happened in the past.

"But none of that matters to me now, since I'm no longer a hexenbiest," Adalind sighed.

"Maybe it's for the best," Nick said, "I mean, you were a huge bitch when you were a hexenbiest."

"But I knew who I was," Adalind said sadly, "now…..I honestly have no idea."

"You get a free pass," Nick replied, "something that most people wouldn't get. A clean slate to make yourself into a better person. Do something good with your life."

"Sounds amazing," Adalind said sarcastically, then she sighed, "I'm sorry, I am still getting used to all of this. I'm sure I will be thanking you a year from now."

"I won't count on it," Nick said under his breath.

They were quiet for a few minutes, both feeling there had probably been enough sharing for one evening.

"Do you play chess?" Adalind asked suddenly.

"What?" Nick was sure he had misheard her, and he looked at her, confused.

"Chess? Do you play?" She asked again. When he continued to just stare at her, she sighed, "you know, I didn't just sit at home plotting devious acts and making potions. Most of my time was spent being a lawyer….and believe me, I need an easy way to destress. I like playing chess, mostly on my phone, but I wouldn't mind having a partner for a change. So, do you play?"

"Well, ya, actually, I do," Nick replied, still somewhat off balance from her question, "It's been packed up since Juliette moved in….she doesn't play."

"Good thing you got rid of her, then," Adalind said, a competitive gleam in her eye.

"I'll go grab it from upstairs," Nick said with a smile, warming to the conversation.

Nick took the stairs two at a time, and wondered briefly if he should feel more guilty about enjoying spending time with Adalind. With a shrug, he decided that if he was stuck with her anyway, there was no reason they should be miserable. So little in his life had been easy in the last year, so maybe he could give himself a pass on a little mindless fun - even if it was with the woman who, up until about 24 hours ago, was his worst enemy. It was better for his sanity not to dwell on that part too much.

Nick grabbed the box out of the back of his closet and made his way back downstairs, stopping on the stairs to look at her just for a moment, giving the desire he had been holding at bay free reign. The way her features softened when she wasn't trying to manipulate, how small she seemed on his couch, with her feet tucked underneath her legs. The way she bit her bottom lip as she waited for him to return. He brought himself back in, took a deep breath, and made his way the rest of the way downstairs.

"Found it," he said as she turned her blue eyes up to him, and he could see that she had been allowing her mind to wander, too. He took a deep breath, and set to work setting up the board.

"This should help up take our mind off…..things," Nick said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

"Only one way to find out," Adalind replied with a grin.

%%%%%

"Checkmate!" Adalind declared, raising her hands into the air triumphantly.

"You cheated!" Nick cried, incredulous.

"Nick...," Adalind replied calmly, tilting her head to the side, "you know I'm no longer a witch. How could I possibly have cheated?"

"You were running your foot up and down my leg **_every time_** it was my turn!" Nick maintained the same incredulous tone.

"That's not cheating," Adalind said, the picture of innocence, "it's called strategy."

"I guess you don't have to be a hexenbiest to be a witch," Nick complained, although his eyes had started to gleam in what looked suspiciously like admiration.

"You don't have to be a witch to work this kind of magic," Adalind replied, her voice low, a hint of desire creeping into the words.

Adalind held her breath as Nick took a step towards her. And then another. His moves were slow, but deliberate, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Nick?! What the hell," the shrill voice of a third party cut through the haze of desire that had clouded Adalind's mind, and her head snapped to the dark haired woman standing in the doorway.

Adalind quickly took a step back, a hand going self consciously to her hair as she looked from beneath lowered lashes at Nick. He had taken only a second longer to recover himself, and he had already put some distance between them as his focus shifted to the woman.

"Juliette," Nick said, holding up a hand, "this isn't what it looks like."

Adalind kept herself from snorting in derision, choosing instead to try and blend in with the furniture. This was not a conversation she wanted to have any part of.

"It's been less than 24 hours, Nick!" Juliette's voice seemed to raise an octave as she looked at them accusingly, "and you already have this…..wait a minute. Adalind?" Juliette seemed to calm suddenly, and Adalind looked at her expectantly, "Are you here with Hank?"

Adalind sighed, this was about to go from bad to worse, so it was time to nip it in the bud. Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face.

"No, I am actually here under police protection," Adalind stated, the lie holding just enough truth to make it believable, "Can't seem to stay out of trouble, it seems, and it would have been a conflict to stay with Hank, so…."

"So, she is staying in the guest room," Nick finished, picking up her train of thought, "Until a more permanent solution can be found. It's just temporary…..hopefully just for tonight."

Adalind tried not to feel a twinge of regret at his words. Why would either one of them want to spend any more time together than was strictly necessary?

"You know what," Adalind said, walking towards the stairs, carefully staying out of reach of Juliette, "I'm going to head up to that guest room and let you two talk. Good to see you Juliette." She fled up the stairs and closed the door behind her.

Adalind flopped on the bed, still hopelessly unsatisfied, and gave a sigh of frustration. She had to give it to her, that Juliette had perfect timing.

She could hear the raised voices coming from the living room, and Adalind found herself creeping closer to the door, pressing her ear up against the door, before giving up all pretenses and opening the door so she could hear the conversation going on below her.

"Believe me, Juliette," Adalind heard Nick saying, his voice a mix of frustration and impatience, "Adalind is the last woman on earth I would ever become involved with….anyone else would be preferable."

Adalind sucked in a breath and closed the door once more, trying to deny the hurt that she felt. Why should she care if Nick didn't want her - he was nothing to her! So why did it hurt?

%%%%%

Nick was ready to snap. He knew, intellectually, that none of this was Juliette's fault, but he was at the breaking point and her presence was seriously grating on his well-worn nerves.

"Believe me, Juliette," Nick said, his irritation with her sounding in his voice, "Adalind is the last woman on earth I would ever become involved with….anyone else would be preferable."

Nick didn't feel that way in reality. At this point, thanks to his Grimm and a desire spell gone horribly wrong, he was half convinced that Adalind was the ONLY woman he could be with, whether he liked it or not. But that was not something he wanted to admit to himself, much less share with Juliette. And he needed Juliette gone. So he told her what she needed to hear.

Juliette regarded him closely for a minute, and he shifted under her direct gaze. There was no doubt that she knew him well enough to know when he was lying, so it was only by the grace of the gods, that she heaved a tired sigh and turned away from him.

"I just need to get a few of my things," Juliette said as she headed up the stairs, then gave him a cold look over her shoulder, "I'll make sure I call first next time. In case you have any….guests."

Nick stood alone in his living room, contemplating the fact that Juliette and Adalind were now both upstairs. If he had any kind of luck, they would both decide he wasn't worth trouble and leave together. He was contemplating a life of celibacy when he heard Juliette coming down the stairs. He looked up at her and felt a fresh stab of guilt at the hurt he saw on her face.

"I promise you, Juliette," Nick said, compelled by the years they had spent together, "what happened between us has nothing to do with Adalind, or any other woman. I just can't be with anyone right now, not with what's going on in my life."

Juliette gave him a nod and smiled at him sadly, "I know, Nick. I know that you aren't a cheater, that you wouldn't break the commitment we had to each other. It's just…...it would almost be easier to get over you sleeping with someone else than to realize that you don't trust me enough with what is happening."

Nick didn't know what to say to her, so after a few beats, Juliette turned and walked out the door.

%%%%%

Adalind heard the door close close downstairs and tried to decide what she was going to do. Never one to avoid confrontation, she opened the door and walked down the stairs, stopping halfway down when Nick looked up at her.

"Sorry about that…" he started to say, but he stopped as he met her cold look, "what?"

"Anyone else would be preferable?" Adalind asked, her voice laced with irritation, "Really, Nick? Anyone? How about a Spinnetod? Would you prefer to bang one of those?"

"A Spinne...what? What the hell are you talking about?" Nick looked at her as if she had lost her mind, and maybe she had, but she was hurt, which made her angry, at him and at herself. How dare he make her feel anything!?

"A Spinnetod...a spider like wesen…" Adalind started to explain, but Nick cut her off.

"Ya, I'm familiar, believe me," he retorted, "but what the hell is wrong with you?"

"You basically just said you find me repulsive!" Adalind retorted, "that you would rather be with anyone BUT me!"

"Well, you did try and kill my aunt and my partner," Nick replied with heat, "so I'm sorry if I am a bit hesitant to admit, especially to my VERY recent ex-girlfriend, that all I want to do is…." he suddenly clamped his mouth shut and Adalind continued to glare at him.

"What? All you want to do is...kill me?" Adalind taunted, anger still making her reckless as she took a few steps closer.

"You know that's not what I mean," Nick responded through gritted teeth. Adalind could tell that her anger, and his, was making it difficult for him to hold on to his control. She closed the distance between them, putting her hand on his chest and giving him a slight push.

"Than what DO you mean?" she asked, her anger and desire making her feel brave in the face of her earlier fear of him.

Before Adalind knew what was happening, she found herself lifted easily off her feet, and dropped unceremoniously on her back on the couch. She was still reeling as she felt Nick's weight press against her, his hands moving under her shirt, his hot mouth on the sensitive pulse point on her neck. She arched into him slightly, and she heard him moan softly, his tongue gently tracing the delicate curve of her ear.

"I think it is fairly obvious at this point, what I want to do, what we **_both_** want to do," he whispered in her ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin, "But I'm trying to be a good guy here, Adalind, and wait and see what the consequences are to our actions. Something that I didn't do yesterday before I took your powers. I don't want anything else to happen, to make things worse…..for either one of us."

The last part was said almost as an afterthought, quieter than even his other whispered words. Adalind felt something inside her unravel, as if she had been coiled too tight, for too long. Tears started to form in her eyes. She was glad that Nick's head was still buried in her neck, still unwilling to let him see her so vulnerable. She nodded slowly, her cheek rubbing against his hair.

"You're right," she replied quietly, "let's wait."


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for all the reviews - I am glad you guys are enjoying reading as much as I am writing!

I am on vacation this week, so this chapter is a bit shorter than the last few, and I apologize for any editing errors (I didn't get to reread it as much as I like to) ...but I promise that the next one is much longer to make up for it ;)

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

Sean Renard was never one to wait for things to happen - he MADE things happen. He was not going to sit around and wait for Adalind to blow apart all that he had been working towards.

He pulled up to Catherine Schade's house first thing in the morning, not bothering to knock as he walked purposefully through the front door.

"Catherine!" he shouted, "we need to talk!"

Catherine walked slowly down the stairs, hesitating on the landing when she saw the raw anger on his face.

"What can I help you with, Sean?" she asked, her voice wary as she continued to regard him.

"You can help me control your daughter," Sean said menacingly, "and if you don't, things won't end well for you."

"I don't know what you expect me to be able to do," Catherine responded, "I have no idea where Adalind went."

"She's with the Grimm," Sean said through clenched teeth, and Catherine's eyes went wide in shock, "So you need to use whatever motherly influence you have left to get her back in line."

"After the way we treated her, I'm not sure I have any," Catherine replied.

"That's not my problem," Sean replied, as he walked to the door, "Find her and bring her to me."

%%%%%

Nick woke up to the smell of bacon. Curious, he quickly got out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt before heading down the back stairs into the kitchen. The scene that greeted him was so domestic, that he couldn't help but smile at the sheer absurdity of it.

Adalind was wearing a Stanford Law t-shirt over shorts, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail. She seemed to be singing to herself as she danced around his kitchen, collecting items from the fridge and cabinets. When she finally caught sight of him, she gave him an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you, but I thought I would make breakfast," she said, biting her lower lip as she looked around self consciously, "I just wanted to….you know, thank you...for letting me stay here."

He raised an eyebrow at her and she gave him a lopsided smile.

"I guess I'm just trying out this whole new 'being a normal' human thing," Adalind said, "Gotta start somewhere, right?"

"I suppose," Nick said, still somewhat suspicious, "Will this breakfast be safe to eat?"

"If you're asking whether I know how to cook, then yes it is perfectly safe," Adalind answered, making him a plate, "If you're asking if I laced it with anything of a supernatural nature, well, I suppose you'll just have to take your chances."

Nick eyed the plate of eggs and bacon that she held out to him, and she started to laugh.

"Honestly, I didn't do anything," she grinned, as he hesitantly took the plate from her hand, "besides, I don't even have my hat. Couldn't make much of a potion without it."

"You have a hat?" Nick asked, "An _**actual**_ witches hat."

"Yup," Adalind replied, setting her plate, minus the bacon, on the table next to his, "I know, I know, it's a bit of a cliche, but it's necessary for a lot of the more complicated spells and potions. Not every hexenbiest has one, but my mother does, so I'm actually pretty good….you know, I actually could make a lot of potions, even without my powers. Maybe I should try and get my hands on that hat." Adalind looked thoughtful for a moment, and Nick regarded her closely.

"To do what with?" he asked, his suspicion returning.

"I told you my grandmother taught me a lot of the healing potions," Adalind responded, looking a bit thoughtful, "maybe I could make some for Rosalee. I am sure there are a lot of people that could benefit."

"You…..want to help people?" Nick asked incredulously, raising a brow at her.

Adalind shrugged, "sure, why not. If you can be a judicious Grimm, and Monroe can be a reformed Blutbad, why can't I be a helpful _former_ witch."

"This is quite a turnaround in a 24 hour time period," Nick responded, not unkindly, "what's with the change of heart."

"Maybe talking about my grandparents," Adalind replied, "or seeing what it felt like to have a friend when I was working with Rosalee last night and how she wanted to help for no other reason than to help. Or you, willing to protect me even though you have every reason to hate me. I had a lot of time to think last night when I was in bed, _**alone**_ ," she looked at him pointedly, "and like you said, I have a chance at a clean slate, it's up to me what I do with that chance. And you gave that to me, and I'm grateful for that."

"That wasn't exactly my intention at the time," Nick said ruefully.

"I know, but if something good can come out of all this, then maybe I'm glad it happened," Adalind replied, "I wasn't very nice when I was a witch. Nice didn't interest me. But that voice in the back of my head is gone, and I want to see who I really am now."

Nick wanted to believe her, he really did. He had always believed in the basic goodness in people, even after all he had experienced, both as a cop and a Grimm. But he still regarded her a bit guardedly.

As if reading his mind, she gave him a smile.

"It's ok, I know you don't believe me, but maybe someday you will," She went back to eating, pulling out her phone to check her email, effectively ending their conversation.

He regarded her quietly as he ate, and was surprised to find that he hoped she was right, and one day, he would believe her.

%%%%%

Adalind sat nervously fumbling with the zipper on her jacket as she directed Nick to Henreitta's house. She felt a bit unsure, wondering if Sean would be there, just waiting for her to show up. She slid a glance over at Nick, who was concentrating on driving, the tense set of his jaw the only indication that he may be uneasy with meeting with a hexenbiest that may or may not want to kill him.

"Take a left on the next street," Adalind instructed him, "her house will be the last one on the right."

Nick parked in front of the house, and they both sat for a minute, both staring at the large, well tended victorian house. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Nick.

"Ready?" Adalind asked, hoping that the trepidation she felt didn't sound in her voice.

"As I'll ever be," Nick responded, opening the door and getting out of the car. Adalind followed his lead and stepped down to the sidewalk.

"You might want to let me do the talking," Adalind said as they walked, side by side, up the front steps. At his raised eyebrow, she continued, "Hexenbiests can be very...persuasive when they want to be."

"Meaning?" Nick asked as the stopped in front of the door.

"Meaning….hexenbiests as powerful as Henrietta have the ability to exercise a bit of mind control," Adalind responded.

"Seriously?" Nick looked a bit unbelieving, but Adalind nodded.

"Ya, its not easy, and my power to do so was relatively limited, but Henrietta…." Adalind trailed off, then continued, "let's just say that she has been around for awhile."

"I wonder when this stuff will stop surprising me." Nick responded as he knocked on the front door.

"If you weren't raised with it, probably never," Adalind answered honestly, "just don't let her get to close to you."

The door swung up of its own volition, and Adalind walked in, followed by a hesitant Nick.

"Adalind," a smooth voice greeted them from the large living room, "always lovely to see you." She walked to Adalind and kissed her lightly on the cheek, then turned to Nick.

"And you must be the Grimm," she said, her eyes lighting up in fascination as she offered him a wide smile, "I can't tell you how happy I am to _**finally**_ meet you."

"You can call me Nick," he responded, a bit uncomfortable, shoving his hands into his pockets to maintain a safe distance.

"You told him to be wary of me," she said to Adalind in a chiding voice, her eyes still on Nick.

"I need him in his right mind if he's going to be of any use to me," Adalind responded with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, I have a feeling you already know why we're here, so why don't we skip the small talk and get to business."

"Adalind has always been this way - very direct and to the point," Henrietta said to Nick, ignoring Adalind for the moment, "She's a very driven young woman."

"I'm aware," Nick responded sarcastically, "we were hoping you could help us with a problem we're having…"

"Let me guess," Henrietta interrupted him, "Adalind ingested some of your Grimm blood, and now you can't seem to stop thinking about her," she turned to Adalind, "and you, him. Is that about right?"

"I should have known you would have been up to speed," Adalind responded, a bit disgruntled, "So, can you help us, or have you been warned off telling us anything."

"I can tell you what I know, but there are certain things that must remain….unknown," Henrietta responded cryptically.

"Because you don't know, or because you can't tell us?" Adalind asked. Henrietta shrugged and smiled.

"Maybe a little of both," She said with a smile, "so let's get started, shall we. Adalind, I am going to need a drop of your blood to verify that the spell is a simple Liebeszauber."

"Love spell," Adalind said over her shoulder to Nick in explanation. She held out her hand and Henrietta pricked her finger and mixed it with a potion that she had already prepared in anticipation of their coming. Adalind was barely able to keep herself from rolling her eyes as she realized her naivety in believing that they may have beaten Sean to Henrietta.

They all watched in interest as the potion bubbled for a moment, than changed from a shimmering green to a bright red. Henrietta and Adalind both nodded in satisfaction.

"What?" Nick asked, feeling in the dark, "What does that mean?"

"It's what we thought," Adalind responded, "A simple love spell, although love isn't exactly what it does. Magic can't create real love, only desire."

"So what does that mean for us?" Nick asked anxiously.

"It means that you should be able to break the spell in a traditional manner, with no unknown side effects," Henrietta responded, "although, with a Grimm, there are no guarantees. Your biological makeup is a bit of an unknown to our world. But the simpler the spell, the less chance of any….repercussions."

Adalind watched as Nick processed the information, rubbing both hands over his face in what she could only assume was frustration. And then resignation.

"So what do we do?" Nick asked with a sigh.

"You can sleep together….," Henrietta responded, "or one, or both of you, can die."

"Well, as long as we options," Nick responded sarcastically, running an agitated hand through his hair.

"Can you tell us anything about why the spell was cast," Adalind asked, hoping to distract Nick from trying to decide if it would be better to sleep with her, or kill her.

Henrietta hesitated, and Adalind had the uneasy feeling she was deciding what she was willing to share with them.

"To bring you together, maybe to bring a better understanding to our world," Henrietta seemed to be struggling with what she was saying, and Adalind wondered what she was holding back, "Maybe it would bring a balance to our world…."

"Well, that would be great," Adalind scoffed, "but I doubt a single Grimm and a former hexenbiest would be able to bring about such a change…..unless there is more to what happened than what you are telling us."

Henrietta shrugged, "that's all I can really say…but, maybe you should explore this relationship, see what you can accomplish - whether you break the spell or not, you are blood bound to the Grimm now, you will always be a part of each other."

Adalind noticed that Nick had been quiet for a time and she slid a glance over to where he was standing. He was still watching Henrietta with his hooded cop eyes, but his posture was more relaxed than when they had first entered the house. He must have felt her stare, turning his eyes toward her and giving her a small, but reassuring smile. He suddenly pulled his phone out of his pocket, and looked down at the screen.

"Sorry," he said, "I need to take this." Nick stepped into the hallway, and Henrietta moved quickly to Adalind's side.

"Your Grimm….he's different, isn't he?" Henrietta asked in a hushed, but urgent voice.

"I wouldn't exactly call him 'my Grimm,'" Adalind responded, "But ya, he's definitely different." Adalind's gaze strayed to where Nick was talking in the foyer, "He seems more interested in justice than we have been taught to believe about Grimms."

"Stay with him, Adalind," Henrietta urged, taking her hand, "try to understand each other, try to trust him, try…." her voice trailed off as Nick came back into the room.

"Am I missing something?" he asked, his eyes moving from Adalind to Henrietta and back again.

"I don't know…" Adalind answered honestly, eyeing Henrietta with confusion. Henrietta let go of Adalind's hand and stepped back, a placid smile returning to her face.

"Just a little girl talk," she replied evenly.

"Well, I hate to cut that short, but I need to get to work," Nick replied, then turned to Adalind, "I'll take you someplace safe until I'm done."

Adalind nodded, then turned to Henrietta, "thank you for your help. If we have any other questions, I'll be in touch."

"Please do," Henrietta replied, walking with them to the door, "I hope I see you again, Nick."

Nick gave her an awkward smile and nod, and they walked out the door, silent until they were safely in the car.

"Well, that was weird," Nick said, once they had closed both the doors and buckled up. Adalind nodded in agreement.

"Ya, but at least we have confirmation of what we are dealing with," Adalind replied encouragingly.

"Well, you do," Nick said with bemusement, "apparently being a Grimm is a freak of nature even in the wesen world."

"Ya, most wesen wouldn't care much about what happens to a Grimm," Adalind responded apologetically, then she smiled, "guess you will have to start keeping track for future generations."

"Just what I always wanted to be….a guinea pig," Nick shook his head, amused.

They sat in silence for another few minutes, and Adalind thought about what Henrietta had said to her about Nick. Why would she have encouraged Adalind to 'stay' with Nick? Every instinct Henrietta had should be telling her to advise Adalind to run away from the Grimm - as far and as fast as she could. It didn't make any sense, which meant that Henrietta was likely hiding something from her. Probably at Sean's request. Adalind sighed and rubbed her temples.

"What did Henrietta say to you while I was on the phone," Nick asked, guessing easily what was bothering her.

Adalind hesitated for only moment, Henrietta's advice to trust Nick ringing in her ears even as she decided to share everything with him.

"She told me I needed to try and trust you...understand you…" Adalind replied, knowing that the confusion was evident in her voice, "and that I should try and stay with you."

"Really?!" Nick couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice, his eyebrows shooting up as he stole a quick glance at her, "that seems a bit contradictory to the history of our...kind."

"I know, and I don't think it was your charm that won her over," Adalind looked out the window as the continued to drive, "I just don't know what her angle is."

"I can be charming…" Nick replied defensively.

"I'm sure you can," Adalind answered with a condescending smile, "but I think it's something else in this case."

"I'm taking you to Rosalee's shop," Nick said, abruptly changing the subject, and Adalind looked at him in surprise, "Renard doesn't know about my friendship with them….does he?"

"No, not that I know of," Adalind replied, "He would have had me exploit that relationship if he had known. If he didn't want your aunt educating you about wesen culture, I doubt he would have let your blutbad friend survive….or Rosalee."

Adalind noticed the tightening of Nick's jaw at her words, his grip on the steering wheel turning his knuckles white.

"And you would have helped him with that, I suppose," His words were bitter, and Adalind frowned.

"A week ago, yes….hell, even two days ago, but things are different now," Adalind replied, feeling a bit defensive, even though she knew that she had no right to feel that way.

"Are they?" Nick asked, his expression suddenly guarded again. Adalind sighed.

"I thought we were going to try and trust each other," Adalind said, her tone clipped, "I told you about what Sean was up to, and I did NOT have to do that. I had other options."

"Such as?" Nick asked, unbelieving.

"I could have sold him out to his family," Adalind responded, "the royals would have been _**very**_ interested to know what was going on here. And they would have treated me very well in exchange for the info…..and I wouldn't have to put up with your annoying mood swings."

Silence hung heavy in the car for several seconds. Adalind crossed her arms and stared out the window, refusing to look at Nick, who was still fuming next to her.

"This isn't easy for me," she heard him say. She turned and looked at him and he sighed, "you told me last night that you were having trouble dealing with all these new…'feelings,' and I am, too. I may not be dealing with as much change as you, but I hated you two days ago, and it's not exactly easy trying to compartmentalize those feelings."

"Kinda like how it's hard for me to believe that you won't kill me simply because you're a Grimm," Adalind countered.

"Ya, kinda like that," Nick agreed begrudgingly, "the bottom line here is that trust is never going to come easy to us. At least not for awhile."

"I suppose not, but we have to start somewhere," Adalind replied, "I've told you everything I think is relevant, and I will be truthful going forward, but I can't really do more than that."

"I know," Nick said, his voice gentling just a bit, "we just need to give each other some time to adjust."

Adalind nodded, and they traveled the rest of the way to Rosalee's shop in silence. She felt a sense of relief when they pulled up to the front door, and she hurriedly exited the car, leaving the awkward silence behind her.

"You don't have to walk me to the door," Adalind said, as Nick caught up to her in front of the door.

"I want to make sure you get safely inside," Nick responded, "and that Rosalee is here."

Adalind shrugged dismissively and they walked into the shop. Although the sign said they were open, the shop was still dark, and no one was in the front room.

"Hello?!" Nick called out. Adalind heard a rustling in the backroom and suddenly Rosalee appeared, looking a bit wild eyed. She saw Nick move his hand instinctively to the weapon at his hip, his eyes sweeping the room.

"Everything ok?" he asked, and Rosalee's expression smoothed out

"Ya," she said, "ya, everything is fine. I was just working on some new stock in the back and I forgot that the door was unlocked. I wasn't expecting anyone."

"Ok," Nick said a bit hesitantly, "if you're sure everything is ok, is it alright if Adalind hangs out with you here? I have to get to a crime scene."

"Actually…" Rosalee looked like she wanted to say no, and Adalind's stomach turned. Of course Rosalee wouldn't want her around. None of them did. Not after everything she had done to Nick and Hank. She was about to say that she would find her own hideout when something in Rosalee's eyes brightened and she looked at Adalind like she had just realized something.

"Actually, that would be great," Rosalee said with a smile, "she can help me out with all this new stock I just got in."

"Sure," Adalind plastered a fake smile on her face, the thought of playing stockboy not overly appealing, "whatever I can do to help."

"Well, I'll leave you two to it," Nick said quickly, making his way back to the door. He turned back to Adalind with his hand on the knob, "I'll be back as soon as I can." They exchanged an awkward look, and then he was gone.

Adalind heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Rosalee.

"Well, I have to be honest, it's kind of a relief to be away from him for a bit," Adalind started, then stopped when she saw the wild look return to Rosalee's eye. Fear started to creep in, "What is it...is it Sean? Did he get to you?"

"No! Nothing like that," Rosalee quickly assured her, "But there is someone here that I didn't necessarily want Nick to know about, at least not yet. And with your knowledge and connections, you may be able to help me more than he can anyway."

Adalind frowned, unable to think what possible scenario there could be that she could be helpful to anyone.

"Have you ever heard of Ian Harmon?" Rosalee asked, leading her slowly into the backroom of the shop.

"The journalist?" Adalind responded, still a bit confused, "Ya, I've heard of him. Isn't he involved in the resistance, too?"

"Yes, he is one of the few remaining leaders of the resistance," Rosalee said, biting her lower lip, then stepping aside to let Adalind step into the backroom, "he's been shot….and he's here."


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for all the reviews - and the favorites and follows :) I hope you all continue to enjoy the story.

This chapter follows the plot line of 1x18 Cat and Mouse - I didn't want to assume everyone remembered the episode from six years ago, but I also didn't want to rehash every detail, so hopefully I found the right balance. Of course, things are different now that Adalind is along for the ride!

 **CHAPTER SIX**

"Oh," Adalind didn't know what else to say, "Okay, well, sure...I can do whatever you need, I guess."

"Someone tried to kill him," Rosalee said sadly, her eyes on the man sleeping on the cot in the backroom. Adalind noticed for the first time that Monroe was also in the room, and gave him a nod in greeting, which he returned.

"I can see that…" Adalind said taking a step closer, "I'm guessing the royals….they sent the Verrat?"

Rosalee nodded, "Obviously we can't take him to the hospital, so Monroe helped me remove the bullet."

"Okay," Adalind said slowly, "so what is it you need from me?"

"Do you have any contacts within the Resistance through…," Rosalee hesitated, looking conflicted, "Sean Renard? You mentioned last night that he works with them."

"He does, but honestly I never worked with them directly, his involvement with them is very covert because he doesn't want his family to find out," Adalind replied, "the only one I really know is Sean, and I don't think he would help me with anything at this point."

"Probably not," Rosalee sighed, "I'm going to have to get him some papers to get him out of town. I know who my brother used, so I guess I will get in contact with him.

"No!" Adalind said emphatically, "do NOT use anyone local to have the papers made. If the Verrat is already here, hunting him, they already know who is used locally for that purpose. The Verrat may be a cold and ruthless, but they are also cunning and very intelligent. I may not have any contacts directly in the Resistance, but I DO know who to go to for a good forgery….and he is NOT in Portland. There would be no way to tie it back to anyone here."

Rosalee looked at her closely for a minute, then gave her a soft smile.

"Thank you for helping him," Rosalee said with genuine gratitude.

Adalind suddenly felt uncomfortable under her kind gaze and she shifted slightly on her feet,

"Sure, I mean, you're helping me out with this whole love spell thing," Adalind replied, trying to sound flippant, "at least it gives me something to do until Nick figures out what he is going to do about Sean….and about me."

%%%%%

As soon as Adalind stepped into the front room of the shop to make the call to her contact, Monroe stood and walked over to Rosalee, taking her by the elbow and steering her out of earshot.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Monroe asked in a hushed voice, looking over her shoulder to make sure Adalind wasn't coming back in the room. "I mean, first we have a leader of the resistance in here, next we got someone who is being hunted by a royal...how much danger are we willing to put ourselves in here?"

"I admit, it's getting a bit complicated," Rosalee said, "but Ian was always a good friend to my family, and I cared about him once. I'm going to help him if I can. And if Adalind can keep his presence here with us quiet even longer, that gives Ian more time to heal before he has to leave."

"Alright, so we help the guy," Monroe replied, "But don't you think if someone is trying to kill him that maybe, just maybe, we should involve Nick? I mean, he is kind of in the business of finding killers, especially of the wesen variety."

"I think we need to talk to Ian about that when he wakes up," Rosalee told him quietly, "The resistance doesn't exactly trust Grimms."

"Rosalee?" they both turned at the sound of Ian's voice, Rosalee walking quickly to sit next to him.

"I'm here," she said, putting a comforting hand on his cheek, as Monroe watched from a distance.

%%%%%

Nick was reassured by the fact that work was distracting enough to keep his mind off Adalind and their current situation. Nothing like a shooting first thing in the morning to make you forget about witches and love spells.

Taking a cleansing breath, he walked over to where Hank and Wu were already working the scene.

"What have we got?" Nick asked, both men turning to look at him.

"Single bullet to the head," Wu responded, "no muss, no fuss."

"Killer came in here with a plan," Hank added, "which looks like take the money and get out."

"We got a passport," Nick replied, picking it up and opening to the identification page, "Ian Harmon. Could be our killer."

"We have a potential witness outside," Wu told them, "One of you want to take that."

"I got it," Nick replied, walking outside to where a man was waiting with a couple of uniformed officers, "Hi, I'm Detective Burkhardt."

"Oh, hi, hi Detective," the man replied, it voice coming out in a nervous rush, "I was across the street and I saw this man come running, and didn't think anything of it at first….And then the police cars came here and they told me the bartender was shot!?"

"Do you think you could identify the man if you saw him again," Nick asked.

"If I saw him again, maybe," the man replied, still agitated, "Did you...did you arrest anybody?"

"Not yet, no," Nick replied, opening the passport and showing it to the man, "Is this the man that you saw?"

The man looked at the passport, then woged, his eyes widening as he looked at Nick. Of course, Nick thought.

"Just take it easy," Nick said calmly.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to help."

"I just want to know if this is the man you saw," Nick reassured the man, wishing, not for the first time today, that he had never heard of a Grimm.

"Yes, sir, that's him, that's him," the man replied, still eyeing Nick wariy.

"All right," Nick answered, "Gonna need your name and number, just in case we need confirmation on the I.D."

"Yes, of course," the man replied, giving Nick his name and number. Nick jotted it all done, and after the man had left, took some notes on what he noticed about the man's woge. It wasn't anything he had come across before, and he would want to identify the wesen later.

%%%%%

"Drink this," Rosalee said to Ian, handing him a few pain pills and a glass of water.

"Look, I hoped you warned your friends that I could be very dangerous for all of you to be wherever I am," Ian said, glancing warily at where Monroe and Adalind were standing.

"Oh, don't worry," Adalind said with a wry grin, "it's kinda dangerous to be around us, too….well, at least me, anyway."

"And if you want to talk about dangerous," Monroe interjected eagerly, "you should meet my friend Nick! I mean, he's a….he's a friend who….he can...well, what I mean is…."

"He's a Grimm," Adalind said calmly, popping a peanut from the small bowl on the table into her mouth, "and a cop."

"What she said," Monroe said with a relieved sigh.

"Are you serious?" Ian asked, looking at them, and then tuning to Rosalee, "a Grimm?"

"Don't forget….also a cop," Adalind reminded him.

"I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense," Monroe replied, "But he is friends with a blutbad."

"And a fuchsbau," Rosalee added.

"And he has saved my ass more than a few times," Monroe continued, "Believe it or not, he is just trying to do the right thing."

"And you?" Ian asked, turning to Adalind.

"Oh no, I'm not friends with the Grimm," Adalind replied, with a shake of her head "we kinda hate each other, but we got this whole desire spell thing going on, so we have to tolerate each other right now. Although, to give him SOME credit, he is protecting me from….some bad people, and he's not a _**terrible**_ chess player, so I guess he DOES have some redeeming qualities…." She trailed off as they all looked at her, "sorry, long story."

"And you trust this man?" Ian asked, turning his attention back to Rosalee.

"I do," Rosalee responded with a nod.

"Well then, by all means, put my life in his hands.

%%%%%

Nick let out a frustrated sigh as he continued to try to piece together the evidence laid out in front of him. His phone buzzed on his desk next to him.

"Yeah, Burkhardt," he answered distractedly, his eyes still focused on the information in front of him.

"Could you get down to the spice shop," Monroe replied, foregoing any greeting, "ASAP?"

"Did someone come for Adalind?" Nick asked in a low voice. He stood, looking around to make sure that the Captain was still in his office. He breathed slightly easier to see that he was, but that didn't mean he couldn't have sent others to do his dirty work. He obviously had done it before.

"Oh...no…..sorry, this has nothing to do with Adalind," Monroe replied quickly, "I should have led with that, I guess. But we do have a...situation here. There's a guy….kind of a civil rights activist...slash, I don't know, freedom fighter. With a bullet wound."

"I'll be right there," Nick responded, already grabbing his jacket and walking toward the door, relieved that the Captain hadn't found out where he had stashed Adalind.

Of course, now he had to go to the Spice Shop and deal with whatever mess this was….and with Adalind.

%%%%%

"I can make you something that will help that heal a bit faster," Adalind said awkwardly, sitting next to Ian's bed while Rosalee and Monroe called Nick in the next room, "Should help with the pain, too. I can't make anything too complicated since I don't have my hat….or my powers, but I can still put something together that's a bit better than what you've got."

"So you're a hexenbiest," Ian replied warily, his eyes darting in the direction of the nearest exit.

"Was," Adalind replied, finding that talking about the loss of her powers was slightly less painful than it had been the day before. At his questioning look, she gave a weak smile, "the Grimm."

"And this is the man that I'm supposed to trust?" Ian questioned, and Adalind sighed.

"Well, he had his reasons for doing what he did to me," Adalind admitted, "and it says something that I am still here and not dead, right?"

"I suppose," Ian replied, still eyeing her with a bit of suspicion.

"Well, I'll see what I can do about mixing up something for you," Adalind said, standing and walking to the front of the shop. Rosalee and Monroe looked up when she walked in.

"Rosalee, would you mind if I used some of your supplies and tools to make Ian a healing potion?" Adalind asked, and they both looked at her in surprise.

"Um, okay, sure," Rosalee responded, "Just let me know what you need."

Adalind listed what she needed and she and Rosalee busied themselves with finding the ingredients and setting up what Adalind needed to make the healing potion. Monroe watched out the front window for Nick.

"So, what's the story between you and the hot Resistance guy back there?" Adalind asked, smiling slightly as Rosalee started to blush.

"We were together for a year and a half," Rosalee admitted, throwing a cautious look at Monroe to make sure he wasn't listening, "but then he left to join the Resistance and I wasn't interested in that life. My parents and brother were active in the movement, but I kinda rebelled against it….got involved with the wrong people."

"Believe me, I can relate to that," Adalind said as she slowly stirred the blue liquid in front of her, waiting for it to turn green before she dropped in a few drops of Lausenschlange oil, "how do you feel about it all now?"

"To be honest, I am still not all that interested in becoming part of the Resistance," Rosalee admitted, "but I have taken my brother's place as a liaison for the community with the Wesen Council."

"They must love you working with a Grimm," Adalind said sarcastically.

"It hasn't come up...yet," Rosalee responded with a laugh.

"I'd love to be there when it does," Adalind replied with a laugh of her own.

"How's it going with you and Nick?" Rosalee asked, carefully.

"If you're asking what I think you're asking, no, we didn't do _**that**_ ," Adalind replied, with a bemused expression, "we might have if Juliette hadn't showed up."

"Well that had to be awkward," Rosalee said, trying not to smile.

"Oh, it was," Adalid replied good naturedly, "But, she left without incident and then Nick convinced me that it was best to wait and make sure there were no further repercussions to us breaking the spell in the traditional manner."

"Did you talk with your hexenbiest friend?" Rosalee asked.

"We actually went this morning," Adalind replied, unsure how much to share with Rosalee, then deciding she needed someone to talk to, she continued, "she tested my blood and confirmed what you and I already thought - it's a simple love spell, shouldn't have any lingering effects once it is broken. She wasn't sure about a Grimm, though, since their biological makeup is a bit different, but the spell was so simple, I'm not too concerned."

"Is Nick?" Rosalee watched as Adalind added a powder to the potion and stirred, "Concerned, I mean?"

"I'm not sure," Adalind replied, her eyes focused on the liquid that was swirling of its own volition in the glass, "we kind of started arguing a bit on the way here. Things had been going fairly smoothly, and then he remembered that he hated me, and well, that changed the tone of the conversation pretty quick."

Rosalee was quiet for a moment, and Adalind hoped that she hadn't reminded her that she should probably hate her, too. And for some reason that she couldn't quite put her finger on, Adalind really wanted Rosalee to like her.

"I haven't known Nick all that long," Rosalee started hesitantly, "But I know that he is very loyal, so it will take him some time to come to terms with what happened with Hank and his Aunt."

"I get that, I really do," Adalind replied, "But if we could just break the spell, we could at least get that problem out of the way."

"I think maybe you and Nick are looking at this in two very different ways," Rosalee looked embarrassed for a moment, and then continued, "I don't mean to be offensive, but hexenbiests tend to use their sexuality as a weapon, right? Or to get what they want….it's not always an act of love or affection."

Adalind nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly, wondering where Rosalee was going with this.

"Well, Nick isn't a hexenbiest...or zauberbiest, I guess I should say," Rosalee shrugged, "maybe it isn't as easy for him to look at it as just an unemotional transaction between two people. Maybe he attaches more to it than that. So he may need a little more time to come to terms with things."

Adalind took a moment to process what Rosalee had said. She supposed it made sense. Nick was more human than anything else, and humans did tend to give sex a lot of emotional currency. If she thought about it too much, she would remember she was a human now, too, and perhaps it would be different for her this time, too. And wouldn't that be awkward.

Blowing out a sigh, Adalind decided to try and change the subject.

"So, Henrietta told me that I'm 'blood bound' to Nick now," Adalind said quietly, "and that I should try and stay with him, learn to trust and understand him. What do you think that's all about…."

Rosalee looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged, "I'm not really sure, I mean, we both know that blood magic is a powerful thing. Maybe it has something to do with that."

"Maybe…" Adalind wasn't convinced. Rosalee put a reassuring hand on her arm, and smiled.

"As soon as we get this thing with Ian worked out, we'll figure it out," Rosalee reassured her.

"Thanks, I appreciate your help," Adalind replied with genuine gratitude.

They were both still smiling when Nick walked in the door a moment later. He looked at them for a beat, then turned to Monroe.

"You mentioned a 'bullet wound'?" Nick asked him by way of greeting, ignoring the other occupants in the room.

"I did...he's back here," Monroe replied, leading Nick to the backroom. Adalind and Rosalee followed, and made it to the room just as Nick drew his weapon and pointed it at Ian.

"Don't move!," Nick barked at Ian.

"Woah!" Monroe's eyes went wide as he regarded Nick, "Nick! Nick, wait! Wait!"

"This man is wanted for murder," Nick responded, his eyes never leaving Ian, his gun still firmly pointed at him.

"Well, I guess he's just trying to 'do the right thing'," Ian said sarcastically.

"I found his passport next to the bartender he shot," Nick explained.

"Ian lost his bag when the Verrat agent was chasing him," Rosalee responded calmly, "that must be who got his passport."

"Clearly he wants you to find me since he can't," Ian said with dawning recognition, "that's why he shot this bartender and left my passport."

"When was this bartender shot?" Adalind asked. Nick looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He had almost forgotten she was in the room.

"Four hours ago," Nick replied.

"Then it can't be him, Nick," Rosalee walked towards Ian and stood next to him, "he's been here since before the shop opened this morning."

"If you arrest him now, you will lead the Verrat right to him," Adalind said quietly, moving next to Nick, "the Verrat is very dangerous, Nick. This isn't a police matter. You need to deal with this as a Grimm."

Nick slowly lowered his weapon, and holstered it. He turned his full attention to Adalind, a frown forming on his face.

"The Verrat?" Nick asked her and she nodded.

"They are in service to the royal families," Adalind explained, "Ian is a leader in the Resistance, so the Verrat is here to eliminate him."

"Right," Nick said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, "I thought they only operated in Europe."

"Their influence is spreading," Ian explained, "They occupy positions of power everywhere...politics, industry, organized crime….even law enforcement."

Adalind and Nick exchanged a glance, both thinking of Renard. Nick filed it away to talk with her about later, when they didn't have an audience.

"Nick, these guys make the Spanish Inquisition look like the SPCA," Monroe added, "And Ian's resistance group, the Lauffer, is the only thing that stands in their way."

"This world is on the brink of war," Ian continued, "the turmoil in the Middle East, the crises in Europe, the Arab Spring, all of its tied together. Agents of the Verrat, working for the seven royal houses, have infiltrated the highest levels of government."

"This is not a new struggle. And the royal families are very good at leveraging these struggles into opportunities to gain more control," Adalind added, "I know, I've seen how some of these royals operate."

Ian nodded in agreement, "People, driven by fear, their neighbors dying...they choose stability over freedom."

"My parents were part of the resistance and my grandparents, my brother," Rosalee looked at Ian, "I never wanted to be involved. It always seemed so far away."

Ian's focused shifted to Nick, eyes narrowing, "Your people changed the balance of power when they decided to work for the royal families."

"I told you," Adalind said quietly, placing a hand on his arm, "You're very valuable to the royals."

Nick looked down at her hand on his arm, then up to her face. He was slightly taken aback to see concern in her eyes….for him. He wasn't really sure what to do with that development, so he forced himself to ignore the warm tingling that her hand was causing, and returned his attention to Ian.

"If you had come here two days ago, I wouldn't know, or care, about the royals," Nick said with a shake of his head, "but very recent events have convinced me that the royals can be manipulative and cruel," his eyes met Adalind's for a moment, "even betraying those that help them."

"So, you'll help?" Rosalee asked hopefully.

"I suppose I will," Nick answered hesitantly, "the most important thing I can do is find this Verrat agent. What can you tell me about him?"

"His name is Edgar Waltz," Ian replied, "and he's a hundjager."

At Nick's questioning glance, Monroe jumped in, "Oh, okay...I can help with that. A hundjager is kind of hound like in appearance. You know, canine ears, dog snout, sharp teeth. Bad, bad guys...you DO NOT want to mess with them."

"And VERY clever...and cunning," Adalind added, shivering slightly, "not to mention they will kill anyone that gets in their way."

"You said 'hound like', right?" Nick said, his brow furrowed, "can you show me what they look like?"

"Sure," Rosalee pulled a book of the shelf and started paging through it until she found the right sketch, "Here's one."

She handed the book to Nick, and he started to nod.

"I met with one of these today," Nick explained, "the so-called witness to the bartender murder was a hundjager. I'm going to go ahead and make the leap to assuming that was the guy we're looking for, this Edgar Waltz."

"Yes, I am pretty sure he is the only one that would implicate me in a murder that I didn't commit," Ian replied bitterly. Nick snapped the book shut and handed it back to Rosalee.

"Well then," Nick said with a small smile, "I have his phone number. Maybe we can set a trap."

%%%%%

Adalind used the excuse of checking on her healing potion to leave the room. She needed to put some space between her and Nick, her feelings so conflicted that her head was starting to pound. She decided to whip up a little headache remedy while she was at it. She had a feeling this would not be the last headache she would have today.

She picked up the potion that she had made for Ian and gave it a little shake. It was almost done blending, so she would be able to give it to him soon. She was so engrossed in her preparations she didn't notice Nick until he was right behind her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, and she jumped, almost dropping the potion.

"Geez, you scared me," Adalind said, startled, gently placing the bottle back on the table, "Rosalee helped me make a healing potion for Ian. It should help his would close faster, so by the time the passport I'm having made for him gets here, he should be healthy enough to travel."

"You're getting him a fake passport?" Nick asked, incredulous.

"I would prefer that you focus on my more altruistic contribution," she replied, pointing to her potion, "as opposed to my illegal one."

"Fair enough," Nick said with a sigh, "sorry I dropped you into all of this."

Adalind was taken aback by his apology, and gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it. Its kept my mind off the other things going on."

"Look, about before, in the car…," Nick began, but he was cut off by his phone ringing, and he gave an irritated sigh, "sorry, I need to take this."

"Yeah, Burkhardt"

"Hello, Detective, let me introduce myself. I'm Edgar Waltz," the voice on the other end said. Nick met Adalind's eyes and he could see that she had heard the man on the other end. He leaned in closer to her so she could hear more clearly.

"Apparently you and I have something in common," the man continued, "We're both looking for Ian Harmon."

"Where are you?" Nick asked, more out of habit than any belief that Waltz might tell him.

"Do you know the terms of a Friedenreden?" Waltz asked, ignoring his questions. Nick looked at Adalind again and she nodded.

"Yes," Nick replied.

"So let's just say Union Station, nine o'clock."

"And how will I know you," Nick asked, playing along.

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem, Detective."

The man ended the call and Nick looked at Adalind, still standing close to him. He fought the urge to pull her closer, and instead took a step back. They needed to keep clear heads if they were going to beat the hundjager.

"What did I just agree to?" He asked her.

"It's a kind of truce," Adalind explained, "You both come unarmed, and leave of your own accord."

"Not sure I like the terms of this deal if hundjagers are as bad as everyone says," Nick said.

"Well, the only good quality that they seem to have is they don't generally break their word, and they are sticklers for rules and traditions," Adalind explained, "he'll honor it, but as soon as you walk away, anything goes, so you need to watch your back."

"So how do we turn this to our favor," Nick wondered aloud.

"You have the advantage right now," Adalind leaned against the counter behind her and crossed her arms, "you have all the information, and Waltz doesn't know that. Waltz also will believe that you, as a Grimm, will be what they like to call an 'ally of convenience.' He'll think that you're on the same side. I suggest you let him think that."

Nick nodded slowly, catching on to where she was going.

"Then I can tell him that I already have Ian, lead him somewhere secluded, and…." Nick stopped, not sure what he would actually do with Waltz once he had him alone.

"And be a Grimm," Adalind said quietly, knowing that Nick wouldn't like that answer.

"Does everything always have to end in death?" Nick asked, weariness creeping into his voice.

"Maybe not everything," Adalind tried to reassure him, "But I am not sure there are a lot of other options when it comes to the Verrat."

"I could try and arrest him," Nick started pacing, "the bullet used for the murders was _**very**_ distinct - it was manufactured in the early 20th century. If I can tie that to the weapon I find on Waltz, I can make it stick. And no one else has to die."

Adalind nodded thoughtfully, "It could work, but you can't go without backup. I mean, a Grimm beats a hundjager in a fair fight, but this may not be a fair fight."

"How about a Grimm and a blutbad?" Nick asked with slight smile.

"Oh definitely," Adalind replied without hesitation, "Blutbads are pretty evenly matched with the hundjager. Although, if you had a hexenbiest, it would be even better. I'm sorry I can't be more help to you."

"Well, if you were a hexenbiest," Nick said taking a step closer to her," then you wouldn't be here. And I wouldn't know what I know about the royals, and the Verrat." He put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, his expression serious, "I really am grateful for the help that you've given to me, and to Rosalee. That's what I started to say earlier, about what happened in the car. I know you're doing everything you can to help, and I appreciate the danger that you have put yourself in to help me."

She looked up into his face and saw concern in his eyes, and it struck her that no one had ever really cared what happened to her, not since she was a child living with her grandparents. She felt like she mattered to him...that she was important. That he would care if something happened to her.

Her hands seemed to move on their own, she couldn't have stopped them even if she had wanted to. And she didn't. She reached up and pulled his face to hers, standing on tiptoes to meet him halfway, and kissed him. He didn't pull away, instead leaning into the kiss, his own hands wrapping around her gently.

This kiss was different than the desired fueled kisses they had shared previously. It still fed on the same passion, but it felt different, and it scared her. Adalind pulled away abruptly, her eyes meeting his, both unsure what to say.

"Be careful," she said softly, then picked up her potion, now complete, and walked into the backroom.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks again for all the feedback - it is always motivating! This should just about wrap up the re-telling of Cat and Mouse (1x18). Hope you enjoy!

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

Nick watched her go, not quite certain what had just happened. It would be easy for him to just blame it on the spell that was still affecting both of them, but he knew that wouldn't be completely truthful. While the kiss they had just shared did feed his desire for her, it also tapped into something much deeper, based on some need within him to protect her.

Unfortunately, this was not the time to examine these things. He needed to talk with Monroe, make a plan, and meet with a murderous agent of the Verrat. Once he had dealt with that, maybe he would get fifteen minutes before the next crisis erupted to work out his relationship issues with Adalind. The first issue being that he even _**had**_ a relationship with Adalind. The problem was, he was starting to come to the unsettling conclusion that he just might like her - and that scared the hell out of him.

He turned and went to the backroom to talk to Monroe, and caught a glimpse of Adalind out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting next to Ian, talking to him quietly and applying the healing potion to where he had been shot.

"So, what's the plan?" Monroe's eager question drew his attention away from Adalind for the moment, and Nick forced himself to focus on the problem at hand.

"I'm going to meet this guy, convince him we're allies and lead him into a trap," Nick quickly outlined his plan to Monroe, who nodded in agreement.

"It could work," Monroe said thoughtfully, "I'm assuming I'm coming as backup?"

Nick nodded, "Adalind, Rosalee and Ian can stay here. There's no reason that Waltz should know anything about this shop, right?"

"Right, I don't know how he could," Monroe replied with a shrug.

"Good, good…" Nick replied, a bit distracted. His gaze had wandered back to Adalind, who was smiling down at Ian. His eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the smile that Ian returned, his eyes lighting up as he talked to her. He was envious of the easy manner they had with each other, no history to hold Ian back from accepting Adalind at face value. The desire that was still eating at him had become almost bearable, but as he watched her across the room, a fresh wave hit him and he found himself walking towards her, leaving a puzzled Monroe behind him.

Adalind turned to him as he walked up, her smile fading a bit as she looked at him.

"Everything okay?" Adalind asked him, her brow furrowing.

Nick realized that he had started to frown, and he shook his head, summoning a small smile of his own.

"I just wanted to see how your healing potion was working," Nick made up the excuse quickly, and Adalind looked down at Ian with satisfaction.

"The wound is already closing," Adalind replied with pride.

"And the pain is considerably less than what it was," Ian added, his appreciative gaze still on Adalind, "she's quite good." Adalind turned her smile back to Ian, and Nick had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"You must have given him a double dose of the pain killer," Nick responded with an arch look in her direction. She glared back at him, but there was still a hint of a smile.

"You're hilarious," Adalind said before turning back to Ian, "I'm glad it's helping."

"She definitely has her talents," Nick admitted, only half sarcastic. It was clear that Adalind was well versed with potions, and if she kept directing those talents towards helping others, Nick was willing to give credit where credit was due.

A sudden buzzing had Adalind pulling her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans, quickly reading the displayed text.

"Looks like the passport is ready," Adalind slipped the phone back into her pocket and reached for her jacket. Nick put a hand on her arm, and she looked at him expectantly.

"Where are you going?" Nick asked, his voice gruffer than he intended.

"I have to meet with my contact to pick up the papers for Ian," Adalind answered slowly, clearly unsure of his tone, "They drove up from Olympia and I have to go to my usual pick up to get them. Should only take me a half hour or so."

"Do you really think you should be going alone?" Nick was growing more and more agitated, and he wasn't even sure why.

"I think it will be okay," Adalind said shrugging off his hand and putting on her coat, "I mean, I'm not going anywhere Sean would be looking for me, so what's the harm."

"The harm?" Nick responded, incredulously, "you're going to meet someone who deals in forgeries, and you no longer have the advantage of being a hexenbiest."

"Well, he doesn't know that," Adalind said with a smirk, then continued in a more serious tone. "Look, I've worked with these guys before, they know me, they have no reason not to trust me, and no reason not to think I couldn't take them all out if I wanted to. And to be honest, I probably still could, they're just a bunch of Seelenguts. It will be fine."

Nick blew out a sigh and nodded, knowing that he didn't really have an argument.

"I do need a car, though, so I guess I'll ask Rosalee if I can borrow hers," Adalind gave him a reassuring smile and walked out of the backroom, presumably in search of Rosalee.

Nick watched her go, and then turned back to Ian, who was watching him with a knowing look.

"For two people who claim to hate each other, you certainly seem to care a lot about what happens to each other," Ian observed.

Nick wasn't sure what to say, so he said nothing.

%%%%%

Edgar Waltz was pleased with the way things were going. While the local contact for illegal papers for wesen hadn't yet panned out, he felt a sense of optimism that there was a Grimm working in Portland. The Grimm would be very useful in finding Harmon and resolving the issue to Waltz's satisfaction.

He looked down at his watch and noted that he still had time before his meeting with the Grimm. Enough time to visit the local contact for illegal papers and find out where else Ian Harmon may have turned for help in Portland.

A mauzhertz named Reginald owned a small camera and photo shop that was known for its expert forgeries - and for assisting members of the Resistance. Waltz had already threatened him once, and was quite sure that Reginald was telling the truth when he had said that no one had come to him looking for a fake passport, but perhaps he had more information regarding others in Portland that would harbor a resistance fighter.

Waltz walked into the shop and Reginald looked up at him, fear immediately evident in his eyes as he woged into his mouse-like wesen form.

"I'm not going to kill you," Waltz sighed as he moved towards the man, "I just want to know who else Ian Harmon might have turned to for help. Who else is active in your network?"

"I don't really….what I mean is…," Reginald sputtered, and Waltz sighed again.

"This is quite embarrassing for you," Waltz said with a shake of his head," But if you would like your family to live, I suggest you come up with a name or two that I can look into. I have grown bored of waiting for Harmon to show up on his own."

"My contact was Freddie Calvert," Reginald responded, wiping the sweat off his brow, "but he was killed a few months ago."

"Where did he do his business?" Waltz asked, his mind turning over the possibility that Harmon would still go to this Freddie Calvert's place of business if he was unaware of his death.

"The Exotic Spice and Tea Shop, on Fulton Street," Reginald answered, then added quickly, "But I haven't heard of anyone going there for help since Freddy died. I think it would likely be a dead end."

"Well, there is only one way to find out, now isn't there," Waltz answered with a cruel smile, "and if I hear that you gave the new owner any kind of warning, expect to find your family dead before the night is over."

Reginald merely nodded as Waltz took his leave, once again on the hunt.

%%%%%

Adalind tried to hide her smile as Nick walked her to Rosalee's car. While his protective nature could sometimes feel constricting, she had to admit that it felt nice to have someone worry about her.

As she dropped her hand towards the lock on the car door, Nicks two hand came up next to her, effectively pinning her against the car. Her breath quickened slightly as she turned around to look at him, his face only inches from hers. The last light of the day cast a shadow over his face, giving it a sharp, almost dangerous look. Adalind's heart raced at the sight.

They had both been working on keeping their desire in check all day, and frankly, it was exhausting, but as they stood in the parking lot, they felt the familiar energy arch between them.

"I want to kiss you," Nick said, his voice harsh with the pent up desire.

"Nobody's stopping you," Adalind met his mouth with her own, opening under the assault of tongue and teeth. HIs hands slipped up under her jacket and sweater, hot on her skin.

He pulled his head away from hers just enough so that their breath mingled.

"God you feel good," he whispered against her mouth, and Adalind gave a throaty laugh.

"Imagine how good I would feel without all these clothes on," she replied seductively.

"I've been trying very hard all day NOT to think of that," Nick responded, his knee nudging her legs apart and settling between her thighs causing a pressure that was bordering on unbearable.

Adalind leaned back against the car, closing her eyes, her lips parting slightly as she allowed herself to enjoy the delicious pressure of his body on hers for another moment. She opened her eyes to find his gaze on her face, his eyes alight with passion.

"We are not doing this on a car….or in a car," she said with more conviction than she actually felt, "are we?"

Nick gave a short, humorless laugh then rested his forehead against hers, "No, we aren't. When we finally do this, we're doing it right."

"I like the sound of that," Adalind smiled, "and when will that be?"

"Soon," Nick responded as he pushed away from her, then reached behind her to open the car door for her, "very soon."

She couldn't resist grabbing his jacket and pulling her to him for one last lingering kiss. When she let him go, she smiled up at him.

"Is that a threat, or a promise?," she laughed.

"Both," he responded with a sly smile.

%%%%%

Edgar Waltz watched through narrowed eyes as the Grimm walked out of the very spice shop that he had been observing. At first he had thought that perhaps the Grimm had also tracked Harmon to this shop, but the relaxed nature with which he exited the shop and escorted the petite blond to the parking lot didn't seem to indicate a man that was there on official business.

This suspicion was confirmed as he continued to watch as the Grimm pulled the woman into his arms and kissed her. Waltz averted his eyes from the vulgar display and tried to puzzle together why the Grimm was here, at a wesen shop known for helping resistance members. Was it possible that the Grimm was working _**with**_ the wesen of Portland. Waltz's mind boggled at the thought of a Grimm working with wesen, but he supposed times were changing.

He looked down at his watch and noticed that it was coming close to time for him to meet with the Grimm at Union Station. If he waited until the Grimm left, he could sneak into the shop and see for himself what was happening, and if Ian Harmon was indeed inside.

%%%%%

Nick took a slow walk back into the shop, trying to calm his raging libido before he had to talk to anyone. He supposed he had made some sort of decision when he had walked Adalind to the car and told her that he wanted to kiss her. It had been building since he had come to the shop and had seen how she was working to help Rosalee and Ian. He had accepted that some things in his life were out of his control, and one of those things was how he felt about Adalind. And he was starting to like her. She was funny, and smart...and she understood what his life had become and who he was now. And giving into the spell that was keeping them so intertwined didn't seem so daunting now.

He heaved a sigh and then opened the door, and Monroe and Rosalee both looked up at him expectantly.

"Everything okay with Adalind," Rosalee asked him, her smile a little too wide for his liking.

"Yes, everything is fine, she should be back soon," Nick said to her, then he turned to Monroe, "maybe we should get going, get there a little early to stake the place." Nick needed to get out of the shop and away from Rosalee and her questioning eyes.

"Sure, let's get going," Monroe answered quickly. He grabbed his jacket and walked over to Rosalee putting a hand on her arm, "We'll be back soon, and hopefully this will all be over."

"Be careful," Rosalee gave him a hug, her eyes worried. She turned to Nick, "you, too. Thank you for helping Ian."

Nick shrugged, "just doing my job...as a cop….or a Grimm. Not really sure anymore."

"Well, either way, thanks," Rosalee smiled at him, then added, "take care of my guy."

"Will do," he responded, and they headed out the door.

The night air had chilled in the few minutes since he had been outside with Adalind, but he supposed that was just as likely the energy between them as much of as the weather. But there was something else, too, something that he couldn't quite put a finger on. His eyes did a quick sweep of their surroundings, but he could find nothing out of place. The niggling feeling wouldn't leave him, though, as he walked to the car and got in. He just hoped it wasn't an indication of something yet to come.

%%%%%

Waltz watched as the Grimm left with another man. They stepped out of the shop, and the taller man turned and locked the door to the shop behind them. So, the Grimm knew the owner of the establishment, or at the very least, someone who worked at the shop. The Grimm stopped, and looked around and for a moment, and Waltz was afraid for a moment that he had been spotted, but the two men turned and walked to a car and left. Waltz waited several minutes to be sure they were gone, then got out of his vehicle and walked to the door. The shop's sign indicated that they were closed, but the lights were on and he could see movement within.

He walked along the side and back of the building, but the windows all had curtains that kept Waltz from seeing anything, or anyone, inside. He felt frustration build inside him as he weighed his options - meet the Grimm and see where that led him, or search the premises and hope that Harmon was hiding inside.

It seemed too much of a coincidence, finding the Grimm here, consorting with the very people that may be hiding Harmon. His instincts told him that his prey was inside. The question remained, though - did they leave him alone?

%%%%%

Adalind's meet with her contact went smoothly, as she knew it would. The men she met with had no reason to even consider the possibility that she was no longer a hexenbiest, so they took the cash payment that she offered and scurried off with little more than a half muttered 'thanks.'

She wondered if she should call Nick and let him know that everything had gone okay, and that she was fine. He had seemed so concerned when she left, and then there was that kiss…..she sighed, and decided against it. Things were so complicated, and the last thing she wanted to do was to assume too much, too soon. Not to mention that she didn't want to distract him from his meeting with Waltz. He would need all his wits about him when dealing with a hundjager.

Adalind was about to turn into the parking lot of the spice shop when she noticed a man walking to the front of the shop. Immediately suspicious, she chose instead to keep driving, pulling the car over a block away and turning off the lights. She turned around and looked out the back window, trying to catch a glimpse of the man. While she knew she was probably being paranoid, Adalind had been around long enough to be wary of anything that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The shop was closed for the day, and the man didn't make a move for the front of the store, but instead moved toward the back.

Adalind slipped out of the car, and silently closed the door, creeping down the block in the shadows in case the man reappeared. Adalind peeked around the corner to the back of the shop, spying the man examining the lock of the back door. Her heart racing, Adalind tried to decide what to do first. She didn't have Rosalee's number to warn her, and she couldn't call the police - they were already looking for Ian, and if she was wrong, then she could land Ian in jail. That left one option - Nick. She quietly walked back to the street and pulled out her phone. It only rang twice before she heard his voice.

"Adalind," his voice held a quiet intensity when he said her name, "is everything ok?"

"I don't think so," Adalind was afraid to raise her voice more than a whisper, "I just got back from meeting with my contact and there is a man here and it looks like he is trying to break into the spice shop. I don't have Rosalee's number to warn her…."

"Go back to the car, now," Nick's voice brook no opposition, "we'll make contact with Rosalee, but I don't want you anywhere near that building."

"I can't let Rosalee face this alone," Adalind replied incredulously, "and we know Ian will be of no help in his condition. I need to go in and help her!"

"I know you want to help, Adalind," Nick said sympathetically, "But you aren't a hexenbiest anymore."

Adalind felt her blood boil, "I am not worthless just because I'm not a hexenbiest anymore."

She hung up the phone and walked purposefully to the front door.

%%%%%

"Shit," Nick said as he hung up the phone. Waltz hadn't shown for their meet and he had a terrible suspicion that he was the man that Adalind saw outside the shop. How did Waltz get a step ahead of them? He ran to the car where Monroe was waiting.

"We gotta go," Nick said, jumping in and starting the car, "Adalind called. I think Waltz is trying to break into the shop."

Monroe's eyes went wide, "Rosalee is there…."

"You need to call her," Nick replied urgently, "warn her they're in danger."

Monroe nodded and placed the call as Nick maneuvered quickly through the light traffic, determined to make it to the shop in time to avert disaster.

%%%%%

Adalind walked to the front door and knocked, hoping to draw Rosalee from the back room. Rosalee was expecting her return, so there was no reason she wouldn't open the door for her. Her assumption proved correct as she heard the lock turn in the door and Rosalee swung the door open with a smile.

"Hey, glad you got back…" Adalind cut Rosalee off with a finger to her lips, then pulled her into a hug.

"There is someone sneaking around at your backdoor," Adalind whispered in Rosalee's ear, "Is Ian strong enough to move?"

Rosalee stiffened slightly at her words, but the pulled away and nodded. The two women walked to the backroom where Ian was sitting.

At their worried looks, he stood, "What is it?"

"You and Rosalee need to go," Adalind replied, handing Rosalee the envelope containing the new papers she had just picked up, "there is someone trying to get in here. I'll stay here and stall him as long as I can."

"I can't let you do that," Ian replied with a shake of his head, "I won't leave you alone with him."

"Nick and Monroe are on there way back," Adalind reassured him, "but if you stay, you'll die, and you need Rosalee to help you. My potion was good, but not that good. Now you two seriously need to get out of here - now!"

Rosalee gave her one last uncertain look before helping Ian to the front door. Adalind took a quick look out the door, making sure the coast was clear, before tossing the car keys to Rosalee and shooing them out the door. She quickly locked the door behind them and walked into the backroom. She just had time to clean up the bed that Ian had been lying on when the back door started to slowly open. Adalind took a deep breath and tried to put an unaffected look on her face.

"I'm sorry, sir," Adalind displayed her best fake smile as the man came through the door, "customers usually come in through the front door, and unfortunately we're closed."

"My apologies," the man answered, his german accent further convincing Adalind of his identity, "but unfortunately, I am going to need your assistance in a somewhat...delicate situation."

He turned from her slightly, locking the door. Adalind felt her heart race, but she maintained her same posture as he took two steps towards her before stopping, noting his surroundings. Adalind watched as he flipped the blankets on the cot that Ian had recently vacated, sniffing the surrounding air, a predatory look entering his eyes.

"It seems a friend of mine was recently here," the man said with a smile. He pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Adalind, "where is Ian Harmon."

Adalind kept her expression carefully blank as she met the eyes of the man pointing the gun at her.

"You must be Edgar Waltz," Adalind responded, forcing a smile on her face, "I've heard so much about you."

The man's face registered surprise for only a moment before he nodded slowly.

"The Grimm?" Waltz asked, and it was Adalind's turn to be surprised, "I saw the two of you earlier, outside."

Adalind glanced down at her watch, "And shouldn't you be meeting with him right now? He doesn't like to be kept waiting."

"While I do hate to be rude, I received information that Ian Harmon may be hidden in this very shop and felt that a visit was in order. Imagine my surprise to find the Grimm here, in a wesen apothecary known to assist those in the Resistance. I started to wonder if I was being played."

"Perhaps you also heard that the owner of this particular apothecary was murdered," Adalind replied smoothly, her slide back to lying and manipulation easier than she would have liked, "Now who do you think did that? What better way for the Grimm to strike fear in the heart of the local wesen community than killing their apothecary."

"Then why didn't he just have me meet him here?" Waltz expression was still a bit disbelieving, and Adalind gave a sly smile.

"You called him, remember," she gave a dismissive shrug, "If you had just gone to meet with him, this would all be over by now."

He took several step towards her, only stopping when they were nearly toe to toe, but Adalind held her ground, looking up at him questioningly.

"And what part do you play in all this," his words were hushed, but cold. Adalind tried to stifle a shiver as his gaze ran up and down her length, then seemed to breath in her scent, "I sense that you are something, but at the same time...nothing."

Adalind bristled, but kept the cool smile on her face, "Oh, I'm definitely something."

%%%%%

Nick couldn't believe that Adalind had stayed behind in that building. By the time he and Monroe had reached the spice shop, they found Rosalee helping Ian into her car. They quickly explained that Adalind had stayed behind to give them a chance to get away. Nick took off as soon as the words were out of Rosalee's mouth, calling over his shoulder for them to stay put until they heard from him.

He unlocked the front door and soundlessly crept inside the shop. He heard voices from the back room and moved to the doorway, taking in the scene before him. Waltz was standing close to Adalind, too close, but she seemed to be holding her own. The only sign of her agitation were her fists at her side, flexing slowly. Waltz had a gun in his hand, but it wasn't pointed at anything in particular.

Nick stepped into the doorway, his gun leveled at Waltz. Waltz immediately turned Adalind around, pulling her back against him and placing the gun against her side. Nick felt a white hot rage starting to build inside, but he kept his face impassive as he continued to start down Waltz.

"If you want Ian, I suggest you let her go," Nick's voice was deceptively calm, dripping with ice, his eyes never leaving Waltz.

"Now, now," Waltz replied with a cold smile, "I was just having a little fun with your pet. As soon as you bring Ian to me, I will let her go. It's very easy."

Nick met Adalind's eyes, and she gave him a small smile, then a wink. Before he knew exactly what was happening, Adalind lifted her booted foot, and slammed her heel into the top of Waltz's foot. Waltz's shouted in surprise, and Adalind used the distraction, and the accompanying relaxation of Waltz's grip, to drop all her weight down, landing on her back before flipping over quickly and slamming her other foot into his kneecap. Waltz howled in pain and woged, dropping his gun. The sheer unexpected nature of her attack had both men momentarily stunned. Waltz recovered first, reaching for Adalind with a growl, but Nick levelled his gun back on Waltz.

"Go ahead," Nick said with no small amount of menace, "give me a reason to kill you."

Waltz backed down, taking a step back from Adalind, his breathing heavy, his eyes practically spitting fire. Adalind kicked the gun close to Nick before walking over and standing next to him.

"That was a risky move you pulled there," Nick's tone was admonishing, but there was a hint of admiration in his voice, "how did you know to do that?"

"I may not have the strength of a hexenbiest," Adalind replied, a bit smug, "but I still know how to fight like one."

Nick gave an amused snort before turning his attention back to Waltz, "get down on the floor," he commanded Waltz, who grudgingly complied.

The front door to the shop came flying open, Monroe rushing in, Rosalee and Ian right behind him.

"We heard a struggle…." Monroe called as he walked in. He spotted Waltz on the floor, "Oh, I guess you have it all under control."

Ian walked over and picked up Waltz's gun, pointing it at Waltz on the floor.

"It's over," Nick told him.

"No, it's not," Ian replied, "they'll send others after me, after all of us."

"Hey, put the gun down," Nick looked at the other man.

"I can't," Ian said slowly, "if he's dead, they will still send others after me,"

He took one final look at Waltz, and pulled the trigger, "but at least this way, your friends will be safe. No one will ever know that any of you helped me."

They all stared down at Waltz's lifeless body, overwhelmed at the turn of the events.

Ian handed the gun to Nick, "sometimes it's hard to know what the right thing is."

"Sometimes it's not," Nick responded, incredulous. He took the gun from Ian's hand and shook his head.

"He killed Waltz to protect us, Nick," Rosalee said in a pleading voice.

Nick looked around him, trying to process the situation. Making a decision he turned to Monroe.

"Get rid of the body," Nick said in a commanding tone, then looked at Rosalee, "You get Ian to the bus station. I want him gone."

"I don't understand," Ian said, "what are you doing?"

"Saving my friends," Nick replied angrily, "if you go to trial, they'll be dead. Go with Rosalee. And don't come back."

Nick grabbed Adalind's arm and pulled her towards the door.

"Where are we going?" Adalind asked with a bit of trepidation.

He gave her a long, lingering look, "Home."


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you so much for the comments - it means so much. I have such fun writing for Nick and Adalind and am happy I can share that with all of you!

 **CHAPTER EIGHT**

Catherine Schade had been waiting outside the Grimm's house for hours, but no one had been in or out of the house all day. Earlier, she had used her skeleton key to enter and search the house, but the only thing she had found was evidence that Adalind had been staying there. All the evidence of her presence was in what appeared to be a guest room, so Catherine was at least thankful for that. But nothing indicated where Adalind had been all day, or when she was coming back.

Catherine's phone buzzed next to her and she looked at the screen and sighed. Sean was calling her, and she had no desire to tell him that she had no idea where Adalind was currently hiding. The alternative, however, would be Sean showing up at her house again, and she was in no mood for that.

"I haven't found her yet, Sean," Catherine said in greeting and she heard a sigh on the other end, "I've been at the Grimm's house for hours, and neither one of them is here."

"Nick was working a case today, so he's stashing her somewhere," Sean said in frustration, "You need to step up your search."

"How would I have any idea where the Grimm would hide a woman," Catherine responded snidely, "you're the one who knows him, why don't you find them."

"Because I have more important things to do," Sean replied, "and you still owe me."

Catherine took a deep breath and reigned in her temper. It would get her nowhere if she alienated Sean, except maybe six feet under.

"Adalind should be at work tomorrow," Catherine said in a clam voice, "I'll go to her office and talk to her."

"Good," Sean replied, "I want you to convince her to meet with me as soon as possible. Tell her I have vital information for her…..and the Grimm."

"I'll do what I can," Catherine was hesitant to make promises she couldn't keep.

"You need to do better than that," Sean replied.

The call ended and Catherine took one last look at the house before driving away.

%%%%%

The car ride to Nick's house was quiet, and quiet made Adalind uneasy.

"Ian was right, you know," Adalind said, breaking through the tense silence, "given any chance, Waltz would have told the Verrat that we helped Ian, and they would have sent more agents after us."

Adalind glanced over at Nick as he remained silent, a tick in his jaw the only indication that he had heard anything she said.

"And you were right, too," Adalind added, needing to fill the void, "arresting Ian would have the same result. We would have all been outed to the Verrat."

Nick's narrowed eyes stayed focused on the road and Adalind sighed.

"But I also know that as a cop, and a guy that hasn't been a Grimm for very long, letting Ian go after watching him shoot a defenseless man has to be really tough on you," Adalind said sympathetically, "it can't be easy taking on this new responsibility when you weren't raised to understand this world."

Nick suddenly pulled over and looked at her, his eyes holding an intensity she hadn't seen before.

"Why did you go back to the shop when I told you not to?" he asked her.

"What?" Adalind was genuinely confused by his question.

"Why did you go back to the shop when I told you not to?" he repeated.

Adalind bristled at his tone, but continued to hold his gaze.

"If I had listened to you, Ian, and likely Rosalee, would be dead," she spoke slowly, not allowing her anger to bleed into her tone.

"And you could also be dead," Nick added, his tone softening slightly as he continued to search her face, "so why did you risk your life for them, for people you barely know?"

Adalind was surprised by his questions, but she supposed she shouldn't be. She wasn't exactly known for her selflessness.

"Well, I suppose some of it was because you told me I couldn't help because I wasn't a hexenbiest anymore," she answered honestly, "Ever since I lost my powers, I have been so afraid that I am 'less' than what I was. And I suppose I am, but I still have value, I can still be useful."

Nick took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, "I didn't tell you to stay out of harm's way because you are useless, but because….."

He trailed off and Adalind continued for him, "because you didn't think I could take care of myself." She sighed and looked away, "But I'm still smart and shrewd, and I was doing a pretty good job of keeping him from leaving and finding Ian and Rosalee...until you showed up."

He lifted an eyebrow at her and she sighed again.

"Not that I am upset that you showed up, in fact, I was kinda counting on it," she said begrudgingly, "I wasn't going to be able to hold him off forever, and once he recovered from his initial surprise of my attack, I know that I wouldn't have been able to handle him, so I am grateful you came in when you did."

"So if that was some of it, what was the other part?" he prodded.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," Adalind replied slowly, then she shrugged, "I like Rosalee….and Ian. And when I align myself with people, I tend to be pretty committed to it. Before, with Sean, it was because of what I thought he could get me, things like power, money and control. But this experience is showing me that there are things more important that that, like loyalty. I definitely didn't get any loyalty from Sean, or even my own mother."

Nick nodded again, seemingly satisfied with her answer, and pulled the car back onto the road.

"You did good tonight," Nick said quietly, avoiding her eyes, then added a bit reluctantly "and I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad you're ok, too," she answered, placing her hand lightly on his leg and giving a slight squeeze. She moved to pull her hand away, but Nick caught it and held it in place against his thigh. Adalind let her head fall back against the seat, and sighed. They spent the rest of the car ride home in silence.

%%%%%

Nick wasn't sure why, but he liked the feeling of Adalind's small hand in his. Maybe it was the adrenalin that was still pumping through his vein after their encounter with Waltz. Maybe it was the spell clouding his judgment. Or maybe it was comforting, to feel her warm hand in his, knowing they were both still alive. It was hard to believe that it had only been forty-eight hours since he had taken her powers, only twenty-four since they had started to try and trust and understand each other. As they got closer to his house, nerves started to set in, making him question his decision to break the spell with Adalind. Maybe Ian had been right, maybe sometimes it was hard to know the right thing to do. Not everything was black and white.

He didn't let go of her hand until they arrived at the house, and even then, he felt reluctant to do so. They walked to the house silently, and Nick held the door open for Adalind, as his eyes did a quick sweep of the surrounding area, always aware of the danger they were constantly facing. He closed the door behind them and took a deep breath before he turned back towards Adalind.

"You must be tired…" Nick's words trailed off, running a nervous hand across the back of his neck, "probably want to go to bed."

Adalind cocked her head to the side and looked at him for a moment, a seductive smile forming on her lips. She started to walk towards him, slow and deliberate. He watched her warily, both dreading and desiring what may happen next.

"I do want to go bed, but I don't want to sleep, Nick. I don't want to think or talk," Adalind replied, the desire in her voice washing over him, making his heart beat faster, his breathing erratic , "I just want to feel."

In the next moment, her hands were on him, and he watched in silent fascination as her small hands worked up his abdomen, over his chest, across his shoulders, gently pushing his jacket off. He shrugged slightly, and it fell to the floor. Adalind moved her hands further up and around his neck, before sliding her fingers in his hair.

He should have wanted to push her away, but his traitorous body ached for her, for her smell, for her taste, her touch. Any thoughts beyond what was immediately in front of him were pushed to the back of mind, made cloudy by the haze of desire that surrounded him. There would be time enough for recriminations later. In this moment, he wanted nothing more than to possess the woman who had been tormenting him.

His decision made, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against him, and buried his head in her neck, breathing her in. He heard her laugh, low and sensual.

"And what do you want, Nick?" she asked, her voice full of playful wantonness, "do you want me as much as I want you….."

He barely heard the words that came from her mouth as he crushed his mouth to hers, demanding and insistent. She gave no resistance to the violent onslaught, instead welcoming his passion, feeding on it as her hands gripped the back of his head more firmly, trying to pull him even further into her.

He started backing her towards the stairs, his mouth never leaving hers, his hands wandering slowly up and under her jacket and sweater. She broke with him suddenly, her lips red and slightly swollen from their kiss. Nick started to reach for her, but then he watched as she slowly removed her jacket, dropping it lightly on the floor, her eyes never leaving his as she pulled up the hem of her sweater and swept it swiftly over her head.

Nick's mouth went dry as he watched her undress for him. Adalind's hands moved down to her waist, flicking open the fastening of her jeans before she dropped them to the floor, joining her other discarded clothes. She stood in front of him, clad only in black silk and lace. She turned and started walking up the stairs, throwing a seductive, beckoning smile back at him. He caught up to her in two long strides, grabbing hold of her wrist as she reached the landing of the stairs. He spun her around and pinned her against the wall, his mouth trailing a hot path down her neck and collarbone.

"What are you doing to me?," Nick voice was laced with need, and seemed foreign even to his own ears, as his hands explored the new expanses of skin that she had bared to him.

Adalind didn't answer him, instead began working the buttons on his shirt and working it off his shoulders.

"I want to feel all of you," Adalind said hotly, pressing her body more firmly into his, her tongue running along his collarbone, over the hollow of his throat before nipping lightly at his neck.

Nick gave a low growl before making short work of the closure on her bra and pulling it from her body. Adalind gasped at the sudden intimate contact of his skin on her own, and Nick allowed himself a smile of male satisfaction as his mouth returned to her ear, lightly nibbling the sensitive skin. As he pressed her more firmly into the wall, Adalind instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, shifting herself slightly against him to create just the right amount of pressure. Understanding her motivations, Nick applied a firmer pressure and Adalind moaned in pleasure before she forced his head back up to hers and kissed him, something primal in her kiss, her hands roaming freely over his body as he fought to keep control.

She pulled her head back and looked up into his eyes, wild with passion, "Please, Nick….," the sound of his name on her lips, rough with passion and need, was his undoing. He picked her up easily, and carried her to bed.

%%%%%

Adalind found herself in the one place she never expected to be - the Grimm's bed. Part of her wanted to hate the way she felt when Nick kissed her. She wanted to hate the way her body betrayed her so easily, succumbing to his touch. But instead she ached with it, with an intensity that both scared and thrilled her.

And now she was laid out before him, vulnerable to him in every way. He had dropped her on his bed somewhat unceremoniously, his eyes raking over her with a long, lingering look before he quickly finished undressing. He moved to join her, and Adalind met him halfway, pulling him down with her on the bed, his elbows braced on either side of her to bear his weight. His leg nudged hers apart, and he settled easily between her thighs, before rolling them onto their sides, his hands running slowly up her leg, over her side, tangling in her hair and pulling her mouth to his. Adalind moaned under his mouth, her need mounting every moment until she could stand it no more, using what leverage she had to push him on his back and straddle him.

"What's it like to be with a Grimm," Adalind wondered aloud, her voice slow and seductive as she moved over him, teasing them both with what was to come. She ran her hands up his chest, "I think I would very much like to find out."

Nick let out a low, primitive growl and Adalind's eyes widened in anticipation. He placed his hands firmly on her hips, flipping her over and under him in one swift move.

"You're about to find out," he said softly in her ear.

%%%%%

Nick couldn't sleep, his eyes lingering on Adalind, who was having no such problem. She was blissfully asleep, a small smile on her mouth, her face relaxed and deceivingly innocent. There was nothing innocent about what they had done last night. Well, at least not the first time. It had been down right filthy, the things they had done to each other...said to each other. The second time was only slightly tamer - of course, he had convinced himself that the second was just to be sure that the spell was _**really**_ broken. Adalind had taken control the second time, and he had to admit that he had enjoyed relinquishing it to her more than he had thought he would.

He had no excuse for the third time. The third time had been in the dead of night, after they had both fallen asleep for a time. They seemed to come awake at the same time, their bodies having become tangled in sleep. That time had been different. It had been slow and deliberate, all breathless sighs and soft touches. He had learned her body in a way that he had not in their two previous encounters, learned what made her body shiver and how to make her call his name.

And _**THAT**_ time had nothing to do with the spell and everything to do with the two of them. And that's what had him up before dawn, looking at Adalind and wondering what happened now. They had so much baggage between the two of them, was it even possible to consider the possibility of their relationship being more? And was he _**really**_ even entertaining the thought at this early stage of her reformation? He would have to be stupid, or maybe crazy, to even consider it, but here he was….

Adalind sighed and stretched in her sleep, her body instinctively curling up closer to him and he decided that these questions could wait until the morning. For now, in the barely breaking dawn of the day, he could hold her, and not think, just feel.

%%%%%

Adalind's eyes fluttered opened as the first light of day filtered in through the window. She was momentarily confused by her surroundings, but a soreness in certain areas of her body reminded her where - and with whom - she had spent the night.

She snuck a peek at her bedmate, noting that he was still asleep, his long, dark eyelashes fanned across his cheek. He looked so peaceful, almost boyish, as he slept, and Adalind smiled with what she could only assume was affection. She stretched slowly, disentangling her legs from his, and shifted away from him, suddenly feeling a need for some space.

Adalind stood up and realized that by the time they had made it to the bedroom, most of her clothes had been removed, so she had nothing to put on. She spied one of Nick's shirts on a chair in the corner of the room and after a moment of indecision, grabbed it and put it on.

It smelled like him, and Adalind took a deep breath before walking downstairs, blushing slightly at she passed the scattered clothing they had left from the door to the stairs. She went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. She took it outside with her and sat on the front porch, enjoying the chill in the air as she wrapped Nick's shirt more tightly around her body.

They had broken the spell. At least, she knew for herself that they had broken the spell. She no longer had the low hum of desire, the driving need to mate with the Grimm. What was happening now was different. What was happening now was a lot more simple. She _**liked**_ the Grimm. And that was a problem. Hexenbiests, even former hexenbiests, didn't like Grimms. They killed Grimms. And Grimms killed them. And who was she to defy centuries of hate and discord.

Her thoughts wandered back to her conversation with Henrietta. She had advised Adalind to stay with the Grimm, to trust him, but that was only half the issue. Nick would have to be onboard with the idea, too, and she had to imagine that now that there was nothing to compel him to be with her, he wouldn't want to have much to do with her.

Adalind sighed and stood up. She would have to worry about Nick later. For now, it was time to face her real life again. She needed to get to work and see what damage had been done to her career.

She slipped into the guest bathroom and took a quick shower before changing into a cream silk shirt and black suit. Putting on her work clothes made her feel more like her old self, more confident and in control. She grabbed her heels and quietly stepped back into Nick's room, where he was still sleeping soundly. She sat down on the corner of the bed and chewed her bottom lip, trying to decide whether she should wake him before she left. She heard him stir behind her and she turned around.

His hair was slightly tousled from sleep and he rubbed his eyes as he looked at her, smiling slightly. When he noticed that she was already fully dressed, his look turned confused.

"What's going on?," he asked, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.

"I have to get to work," Adalind replied, trying to resist the urge to climb back into bed with him, "I have no idea what, if anything, they know about what happened, but I need to know where I stand."

"I can take you," Nick started to move to get out of bed, but Adalind put a hand on his leg, stopping him.

"No, it's okay," Adalind held up her phone, "Uber."

Nick frowned, "I'd feel better if I could drop you off."

"I'll text you when I get there," Adalind put on her shoes and stood, "and if you aren't working later, you could pick me up."

The suggestion hung between them, its implications seemingly domestic, and Adalind turned away from him, her fears rearing up that all the baggage that existed would be too much to overcome. That they would never be easy with each other.

"Sure, I'll call you," Nick responded awkwardly, running his hands through his hair, "or you can call me."

"Okay," Adalind stood and walked to the door, suddenly anxious to be on her way, "See ya later."

Nick gave her an answering smile and she quickly made her way out of the house.

%%%%%

Well that was awkward. Nick laid back against the pillow and sighed. That was not really how he had wanted to start the day. Admittedly, it had been a while since he had a 'morning after' with a new woman, and never one with a woman he had previously viewed as an adversary more than as a lover. Part of him had wanted to reassure her...but he wasn't really sure what to reassure her about.

He scrubbed his hands over his eyes before getting out of bed and going about getting ready for work. As he was clipping his badge to his belt, his phone buzzed on his night table.

"Made it here alive, although the smell of the Uber driver came close to killing me," the message from Adalind read.

Nick smiled as he tapped out a reply, "Maybe you'll take me up on my offer for a ride next time."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and made his way downstairs, a smile forming as he quickly picked up the discarded clothing on the stairs and in the hallway on his way. He tossed them on the couch and went to the kitchen where he found that Adalind had left the coffee warming for him. He grabbed a banana and headed for the door.

Twenty minutes later, he was walking into the precinct. Hank was already at his desk, and he looked up as Nick approached.

"Morning," Hank said in greeting, before narrowing his eyes slightly, "what's with the stupid smile?"

"What?" Nick looked at him in genuine confusion. He had no idea that he had even been smiling.

"I _**know**_ that smile," Hank answered with a grin, and then added wistfully, "I miss that smile."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Nick schooled his features into a more unreadable expression.

"You and Juliette must have had quite a night," Hank continued, ignoring Nick's comment, "it's been awhile since you've showed up with that dumb look on your face."

Nick frowned, "Juliette and I broke up."

Hank was silent for a moment before replying, "Then why were you smiling….and more specifically, why were you smiling like that."

"You're the detective," Nick replied sarcastically, "why don't you figure it out."

Hank looked at him in surprise, and Nick sighed.

"Sorry, it's just been a really weird few days," Nick explained, "You know I'll tell you everything…..eventually. I just don't want to talk about it quite yet."

"Okay, man, you know I'm here for you when you're ready to talk," Hank gave him a sympathetic smile, and Nick nodded in thanks.

"Hate to break up this little love fest," Wu interrupted from behind, "But we have a body."

"Let's get to it," Nick answered, relieved that Hank's focus would be taken off him, at least for the time being.

%%%%%

Adalind dropped her bag on a chair in her office before sitting heavily in her chair behind her desk. This morning had been as annoying awkward as she thought it would be, though she had to admit that it was a good sign that Nick still seemed willing to protect here even without the spell. Of course, she hadn't really asked him if the spell was broken for him. There was always the slight chance that his grimmness had prevented the spell from being broken. She rested her elbows on the desk and dropped her head into her hands and rubbed.

"Darling, you really should have better posture than that," Adalind cringed as she heard the familiar sound of her mother's voice.

"What the hell are you doing here, mother," Adalind didn't bother lifting her head, half hoping that her mother would take the hint and leave. But she knew she wasn't that lucky. Catherine Schade didn't give up that easily.

"My, my, dear," Her mother made a tsking sound with her tongue, "staying with the Grimm certainly doesn't agree with you."

Adalind's head snapped up, "How did you hear about that?"

"How do you think?" her mother answered in an irritated voice, "Sean has been crawling all over me, trying to get me to track you down and bring you back to him."

"Of course," Adalind replied snidely, "it would have been too much to hope that it would be motherly concern."

"Don't be stupid, Adalind," her mother snapped, "you know the kind of power he has, and thanks to your idiotic mistake, I'm still stuck under his thumb."

"So what's the plan, mother," Adalind stood up and walked around her desk, "are you going to drag me out of here and hand me over to Sean?"

Catherine took a step toward her daughter, then stopped, eyeing Adalind closely, before backing away in horror.

"What did you do?" Catherine's eyes were wide with disgust, her lips twisted in a frown of distaste, "I can smell the Grimm all over you! What did you do?"

"Are you sure it's not the Uber driver," Adalind took a little sniff of her suit jacket.

"Don't you dare joke about this," her mother answered, her voice barely containing her fury, "how could you do this?"

"Oh, so Sean didn't tell you everything?" Adalind smiled, "Well, when the Grimm took my powers, apparently a desire spell was cast over us, and the only way to break it was to….." Adalind's voice trailed off and she shrugged.

"You could have killed him," Catherine told her evenly.

"That wouldn't have been near as much fun," Adalind answered with a smug smile, then added with a dramatic whisper, "did you know that Grimm's have more...stamina than a zauberbiest?"

Catherine's eyes flared, and she took a menacing step towards Adalind, who braced herself for her mother's assault. Her mother stopped, though, took a deep breath, and stepped back.

"I am just here to get you to agree to meet with Sean," Catherine's voice was cold, "the sooner I can be rid of the both of you, the better."

Adalind tried not to feel the sting of her mother's words, but she couldn't deny the annoying, and achingly familiar, pain that only her mother knew how to inflict.

"If you think I am stupid enough to meet with Sean, after everything that has happened…" Adalind tried to keep her voice calm and her mother merely shook her head.

"I don't think you're stupid, Adalind, but you have done some very stupid things," Catherine replied, then wrote down a time and place on a blank post-it on her desk, "Sean will meet you in public, so there is no threat. He wanted me to tell you that he had information that was vital to you...and the Grimm. So I suggest you show up."

Catherine turned and walked out the door without looking back. Adalind sat down in her chair and felt a single tear fall as she watched her mother depart. She vowed it would be the last tear that she shed for Catherine Schade.


	9. Chapter 9

I am so grateful for all the reviews/comments. You guys are the best!

To answer a question a couple people had - the "white witch" will emerge (so to speak) only when Nick falls in love with Adalind, and that has not happened...yet. That's gonna take a little time. And probably a small dose of angst (but not too much, I can't handle it!).

For now, our couple is just trying to figure out how to like each other ;)

There are a few small references to the events in Leave it to Beavers (01x19), so hopefully those make sense to everyone. I believe they stand alone, but the mentions of Eisbibers are from that episode.

 **CHAPTER NINE**

Adalind allowed herself five minutes of self pity before she took a deep breath and picked up the paper that her mother had left on her desk. It wasn't much to go on, but Sean wanted to meet at a coffee shop within walking distance of her office at two o'clock. Adalind felt uneasy about the proposition, but at the same time she had to admit a mild curiosity about what Sean could possibly have to say to her.

She leaned back against her desk, tapping her finger thoughtfully against the surface. It felt easy to justify going. They would be in public, so what harm could come to her really. Not to mention that her mother had mentioned that Sean had information vital to the Grimm.

Her thoughts turned to Nick, and she bit down on her lower lip, wondering what his thoughts would be. She snorted slightly, realizing she _**knew**_ what he would think. Nick wasn't exactly hard to read when it came to his protective instincts. He wouldn't want her to go, at least not without him in tow, but that would reveal that he already knew about Sean being the royal, and giving up the upper hand.

She contemplated for a moment not telling him about the meeting, at least not until after it had happened. You know what they say, 'it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.' Adalind quickly discarded the idea. Their trust in each other was tenuous at best, and she had no desire to test its strength. If he thought she was hiding things it would only reinforce his bad opinion of her.

Sighing, Adalind picked up her phone and started at it for a moment, before tapping out a quick message.

"Give me a call when you have a minute. Not life threatening, but a bit time sensitive."

She hit send and put the phone down, forcing herself to ignore it as she set about getting some actual work done. She was a lawyer, after all, with clients counting on her. She refused to wallow in self pity for another moment.

Adalind was so engrossed in the 72-page contract that she barely registered that her phone started ringing. Without looking up from the indemnification clause she was trying to decipher, she picked it up and answered.

"Adalind Schade," her voice brusque and all business.

"Nick Burkhardt," came the answering reply, and Adalind could almost hear the smile in his voice as he continued, "returning Ms. Schade's call."

"Sorry, I was just working," Adalind leaned back in her chair, chewing on the end of her red pen.

"Still have a job, then?" Nick asked, his tone more serious.

"I suppose," Adalind said with a sigh, "although I am not sure if it is because Berman doesn't know what happened, or because he doesn't care. But that's not why I wanted you to call…..I had a visitor this morning."

"Renard?" Nick's voice was low and angry as he asked.

"No, not Sean," Adalind replied quickly, "it was my mother, although she had a message from Sean. He wants me to meet with him."

"No," Nick said, and Adalind rolled her eyes.

"He wants me to meet him at a coffee shop near my office," Adalind continued, ignoring Nick's response, "in public, so I don't see the harm. My mother said he had information that would be important to you, so maybe I should go."

"No," Nick's reply stayed the same and Adalind huffed out a sigh.

"Nick, I need to finish things with him," Adalind responded, trying to stay reasonable, "and aren't you a little curious about what information he may have?"

"And aren't you a little curious about whether or not this is a trap," Adalind heard the exasperation in his voice as he continued, "just because he meets you in public, doesn't mean he won't have means to get you to leave with him, and then he can take you somewhere more…..remote. And then what?"

"Nick, I need to do this," Adalind's voice was firm, "I just wanted to be honest with you about meeting with Sean. I wasn't asking permission."

Nick was silent for a beat, and Adalind held her breath, suddenly, and inexplicably, concerned that she had finally pushed him away.

"Fine," Nick agreed, although Adalind could tell it was through gritted teeth, "but I am going to have Monroe meet you there."

Adalind's relief that he was on board with the meeting was quickly replaced with indignation.

"I don't need a babysitter, Nick," Adalind replied with heat, "I can handle Sean."

"Can you?" Nick replied, "Is that why you've been staying with me?"

Adalind bristled at his tone, "As I recall, that was your idea."

Nick was quiet for a moment, and then she heard him sigh.

"Adalind," his voice was low, and had a hint of resignation in it, "please let me ask Monroe. It would make _**me**_ feel better about the meeting."

Adalind took a steadying breath and reminded herself that he was doing this because, for some reason she couldn't quite understand, he cared about her safety. It was a hard concept for her to understand, that he wasn't just doing it to have control over her, like Sean.

"Okay," Adalind replied, her tone gentle as she added, "you're right, it's probably a good idea to have back up."

"Did you just admit I was right," She could almost hear the laughter in his voice, and she wanted to kick herself for giving him the satisfaction.

"It had to happen eventually," Adalind let the sarcasm drip from her voice. He chuckled lightly, and Adalind felt herself warm to the sound, deep and rich.

"Tell me the details of the meeting," Nick asked, laughter still edging his voice.

Adalind supplied the where and when and they ended the call. She sat back at her desk, a small smile pulling at her mouth. At least she had confirmed one thing - even without the spell, he still cared.

%%%%%

Nick hung up the phone with a resigned sigh and then turned back to the crime scene. He felt a moment of jealousy as he contemplated the body of the man that had apparently been drowned in cement. The poor man's problems with women were most definitely at an end.

Hank gave him a questioning look from across the scene, and Nick held up a finger, indicating he would be back to work in a minute. Hank gave him a long look, and then nodded.

Nick scrolled to Monroe's number in his phone and called his friend.

"Let me guess," Monroe said in greeting, "you have a case, likely wesen, and you desperately need my help."

"I do have a favor to ask," Nick responded, "but it is of a more...personal nature."

"Well that sounds a bit more interesting than our usual murder and mayhem," Monroe answered, "what can I help with, buddy?"

"I need you to keep an eye on Adalind while she meets with Renard," Nick said quietly, "He asked her to meet in a public place, but I don't trust him not to try something. Can you go to Case Study Coffee downtown? Their meeting is at 2, but if you could get there a bit early, scope the place out, then keep an eye on her until Renard is gone?"

"Sure," Monroe responded enthusiastically, "that place has amazing coffee….and the scones are to die for. I'll bring you one later."

"Thank you," Nick shifted on his feet for a moment and looked down at his boot, kicking a stone, before adding, "I slept with Adalind last night."

The admission was met with silence on the other end, and for a moment, Nick thought he had lost Monroe.

"You there?" Nick asked cautiously.

"Yeah, man, I'm here," Monroe responded, "just surprised….well, not really surprised, I mean, I know that the spell was hard on you guys, but it still seems quick…..and weird. Really, really weird."

"I guess I wasn't really thinking all that much about it the first time…" Nick started to say, then bit down on his lower lip as he realized what he had said.

"The _**FIRST**_ time?" Monroe's voice raised to a surprisingly high octave for the blutbad, "how many times were there? Wait, nevermind, I don't know want to know….just tell me if the spell is broken."

"Yeah, I think so," Nick hedged, toeing another rock with his boot, trying to put words to what he was feeling, "I don't have the obsessive, overwhelming desire anymore, but…." he trailed off and shrugged, even though he knew Monroe couldn't see the gesture.

"But…." Monroe prodded.

"But I still like her," Nick said, embarrassed by the omission.

"Oh...oh, well, that's okay, I guess," Monroe tried to reassure him, "Rosalee likes her, too, especially after last night, and I don't have anything bad to say about her, at least not anymore. Seems she is making an effort, so I suppose it's not that big a deal."

"I guess," Nick said, not sure he was properly conveying to his friend the depth of his unease, "anyway, thanks for going to the meet. I need to get back to work. Call me later?"

"Of course, I'll let you know what happens," Monroe answered quickly, "and Nick, don't be so hard on yourself. You're in an impossible situation, coming into this world with virtually no knowledge of it. Finding someone that understands that…..well, it's not easy. No one will blame you if you hold on to it when you find it - you'll never have an easy relationship. And you know that I'll never judge you for it."

Nick felt an emotional constricting in his throat at Monroe's words, and he nodded, mostly to himself.

"Thanks Monroe," Nick replied with feeling, "that means a lot."

"Anytime, man," Monroe replied, "anytime."

Nick disconnected and took a deep breath before heading back to Hank and the crime scene.

%%%%%

Adalind breezed into the coffee shop ten minutes late, thoroughly enjoying the look of irritation that was on Sean's face. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Monroe sitting in the corner, appearing to read a newspaper. She begrudgingly admitted to herself that she did feel better knowing that he was there, not that she was planning on admitting that to anyone.

She sat down across from Sean and gave him a wide smile.

"Didn't keep you waiting, did I?" Adalind asked, all innocence.

"Let's just stop with the games Adalind," Sean bit out, "I don't like being threatened."

"And I don't like being tossed to the curb after everything I did for you," she responded with anger.

Sean closed his eyes and took a deep breath before responding calmly, "this isn't why I wanted to meet you, Adalind. I want to work with you, not against you. We had some good times."

Adalind snorted, "Is that what you're looking for, more good times?"

"No, this isn't about us," Sean responded, "you know all of this is bigger than just the two of us."

"Fine, so just tell me what you think Nick needs to know," Adalind crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

Sean leaned into the table, closer to Adalind, "there is an agent of the Verrat in Portland," Sean said quietly, "his name is Edgar Waltz."

"Is that it?" Adalind looked unimpressed, "that's old news, Sean. Waltz has already been...taken care of."

"Oh," Sean sat back, a bit deflated.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sean," Adalind started to stand, "I know you tried."

He put a hand on her arm and she looked at him expectantly.

"There is something else I wanted to talk about," Sean said and gestured back to the seat. Adalind narrowed her eyes in suspicion and sat back down.

"I know this hasn't been easy for you," Sean said in a soothing voice, "so I want to help you."

He slid a thick envelope towards her and she looked down at it, then back up at him.

"What's this?"

"Freedom," Sean said with a smile, "there is enough cash in there to go wherever you want, start a new life, leave all of this...ugliness behind you."

"You don't have that kind of cash," Adalind said, then gave him a cold smile, "mommy give you an advance on your allowance?"

"Does it matter where the money came from?" Sean responded, ignoring her jibe, "You take this, your problems are over. I promise that I won't come after you, and I won't send anyone else after you, either. All you have to do is leave Portland. And never come back."

Adalind didn't know how to respond. Part of her wanted to take the money and run. She would be safe from Sean and her mother. She could start a new life, as a human, make friends who didn't know her sordid past and all the nasty things she had done. It was tempting. Very tempting. Then NIck's face flitted through her mind, followed by the recent memory of how it felt when he held her, and she frowned, suddenly unsure.

"I know it's a lot to think about," Sean said softly touching her hand for a moment before she abruptly pulled it away, "why don't you take some time and then let me know."

He picked up the envelope and stood up.

"But don't take too long, Adalind," Sean added as he put his coat on, "this offer expires in twenty-four hours."

Adalind wasn't sure how long she sat there before Monroe slid into the seat across from her, concern on his face.

"You okay?," he asked.

"I don't know," Adalind said, turning her dazed eyes to him, "Sean is trying to pay me off, get me out of town."

"I suppose that makes sense," Monroe said reasonably, "I mean, he doesn't want you influencing Nick, so getting you out of way is in his best interest."

Adalind nodded, but didn't respond, her mind still working through the various scenarios open to her. She could stay in Portland and face an uncertain future where Nick may or may not hate her. Or she could take Sean's offer and start over, but she would never see Nick again...unless he came after her, which seemed unlikely at best. And why was she even making Nick part of this equation?

She pushed angrily away from the table, suddenly madder at herself than she was at Sean.

"Thanks for coming," Adalind said genuinely to Monroe, "I appreciate it."

"Sure," Monroe said, standing up and walking toward the door with her, "I mean, you're kinda one of us now, and we look out for each other."

His words stopped Adalind in her tracks and she stopped suddenly, Monroe almost running into her back. She turned and looked at him, his face startled.

"Is that really how you think of me?" Adalind asked, feeling suddenly a bit vulnerable, "that I am part of….whatever it is you guys are."

"Well, yeah," Monroe stated as if it was obvious, "you did pretty much save Ian and Rosalee, so from where I'm standing….you're one us."

"Thank you for that," Adalind responded with a smile, then added, "Oh, and I know Nick probably wanted you to call as soon as the coast was clear, but I would appreciate if you let me tell him what Sean offered me. I kinda want to see what his natural reaction is to that."

Monroe nodded in understanding, "Sure, I'll let him know you okay, though."

Adalind smiled in thanks and waved as she headed back to her office.

%%%%%

Nick leaned against the door jamb and watched Adalind at her desk. She was wearing earbuds, and singing along softly, which seemed to explain how she hadn't yet noticed his presence at her door. It was late enough that Adalind's assistant was already gone for the day, so he was able to watch her unobserved for several minutes before she finally looked up and caught him staring. He gave her a slow smile and she quickly pulled her earbuds out and looked at him sheepishly.

"You keep catching me like this," Adalind stood and started straightening the folders on her desk, "What brings you here?"

"It was getting late," Nick replied, trying to sound casual, "and I hadn't heard from you, so I thought I would stop by, see if you needed me."

Adalind raised her brows at his choice of words and smiled.

"Well, I do _**need**_ a ride," Adalind replied, "not to mention a drink….maybe some food. You want to grab something before we go to your place?"

Nick nodded, and waited as she straightened her desk and packed up her bag.

"Monroe told me that your meeting with Renard went okay, but he didn't have details," Nick grabbed her jacket from the hook on the door and held it open for her, "what did he have to say?"

Adalind shrugged into her jacket and turned around to face him, "mind if I get a drink in me first?"

"Fair enough," Nick replied, holding the door open for her, "where do you wanna go?"

"There's a bar a couple blocks over that has amazing pizza," Adalind resplied, "that work for you?"

"Pizza always works for me," Nick hit the elevator call button.

They rode in comfortable silence down to the lobby and Nick let Adalind take the lead as they headed out the front doors of her building.

"This isn't a wesen bar we're going to, is it," Nick asked warily as they walked the short two blocks to a corner bar.

"No, but a lot of lawyers hang out here," Adalind replied.

"I don't know if that's better or worse," Nick responded, and Adalind gave him a quelling look as he opened the door for her.

"How's it going, Adalind," the bartender called when they walked in the door.

"Hey Mark," she replied with a wave, "can you send over my usual and...what do you want, Nick?"

"Whatever IPA you have on tap is good," Nick answered, then turned to Adalind, "come here often, do you?"

Adalind shrugged, "Often enough, I suppose."

They sat at a small table near the back, and Adalind untucked her blouse, throwing her suit jacket over a chair, and sat down heavily. She crossed her legs, one stiletto dangling negligently from her toes.

The bartender dropped off their drinks, gave Adalind a wink, and walked away. Adalind took a long sip from her wine glass, and sighed.

"What a day…" she closed her eyes and tipped her head back against the wall. Nick stared at her for a moment, trying to curb the impatience he had to hear what Renard had told Adalind. He drummed his fingers on the table, and Adalind opened one eye to look at him.

"I suppose you want to know how the meeting went," she said with a certain amount of resignation in her voice as she met his questioning gaze. He simply nodded as he took a drink from his beer and looked at her expectantly.

"Well, first things first," Adalind sat up a little straighter, leaning into the table, "Sean thought you should know that there is an agent of the verrat in town - a certain Edgar Waltz."

Nick snorted out a laugh, and Adalind grinned, "I told him that had already been taken care of."

"How did he take that?"

"Well, it took the wind out of his sails a bit, but he needs to start understanding that you don't need him near as much as he needs you," Adalind took another sip of her wine and waved the waiter over so they could order their food. Once their order had been placed, Nick turned back to her.

"What else did he have to say," Nick sensed there was more, and his suspicions seemed to be confirmed as Adalind shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"He wants me to leave," Adalind replied, "he offered me a large amount of money to get out of Portland and never come back. He doesn't want me anywhere near you."

Nick took another drink and contemplated this development. He supposed it made sense - Renard didn't want anyone having any influence over him and his growth as a Grimm, and he supposed that was what Adalind represented to Renard. Adalind had already given him more information on the royals and the danger facing him from outside Portland than anyone else.

"And what did you say?," Nick asked carefully, not sure how he was supposed to feel about her answer. He supposed he would know when he heard what she had said to Renard.

"Nothing," Adalind replied, then continued, "I would have turned him down if he hadn't added that I would never have anything to fear from him again if I took the money and left. I would be safe from him, and you wouldn't have to feel responsible for me anymore. You could get back to your normal life."

"I don't think there is anything 'normal' about my life anymore," Nick's smile a bit cynical.

"That's true," Adalind admitted, "but you would have one less person to worry about."

Nick looked at the woman across the table from him and forced himself to contemplate his life with her, and also without her. What would be preferable? If you had asked him a couple days ago, he would have helped her pack. But now….she was something different to him. It wasn't something he could put a name to yet, but it was something.

"I don't think you should let him chase you from your home," Nick replied honestly, "I think it's time we come to clean to Renard about what I know….and that we won't stand for his threats against you."

Adalind stomach did a little flip at his use of the term 'we," but she was able to keep her face calm as she regarded him.

"I can't ask you to give up what little leverage you have against Sean," Adalind turned away slightly, "you've done enough already."

Nick waved his hand dismissively, "at this point, I'm not sure what advantage it is I have over Renard. I'm thinking laying all our cards on the table now is the best course of action," he took another long drink and then looked at her, "And he needs to know that there is no partnership with me if he continues to threaten you. That's a deal breaker. So unless you _**want**_ to leave Portland and never come back, don't do it...not for me. You don't owe me anything, and you sure as shit don't owe anything to Renard."

Nick could tell that Adalind was a little taken aback by his response, but also pleasantly surprised.

"You protected me after I almost killed your partner and aunt," Adalind reminded him hesitantly, and he winced at the memory, "I think I may owe you just a little bit."

"Let's just say that I have worked hard the last few days to put things in perspective," Nick responded, "don't misunderstand me, it was still an awful thing that you did, but I'm a Grimm, and that means I can't view what you did in a vacuum. Grimms are the bad guys in the fairy tales you grew up with, and I would be doing everyone involved a disservice if I didn't try and understand that, and ultimately, change it."

Adalind stared at him, her mouth half open as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't.

"Is it possible that I have _**finally**_ rendered you speechless," Nick asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He took a another drink and signaled to the bartender for two more as he allowed her a moment to collect herself.

"I'm just surprised," Adalind shook her head, as if trying to clear it, "this can't be just because of what I told you?"

"It actually came to me while I was working today," Nick paused as the waiter brought their food, then continued as Adalind started to eat, "I needed to find the witness for the murder we were working, and it turned out it was an Eisbiber….and it reminded me of my first meeting with one."

Adalind laughed, choking on her pizza. She cleared her throat and smiled widely at him, "I would have paid money to see you meet with an Eisbiber. He had to be scared shitless. They're terrified of their own shadows. I'm assuming you let him live?"

"Of course I let him live," Nick replied indignantly.

"Let me guess," Adalind continued, barely containing her mirth, "he has started fixing things at your house, leaving you gifts?"

"A quilt…." Nick responded slowly, "and a pie."

Adalind started to laugh, and Nick had to smile at her genuine amusement.

"Thanks, Nick," Adalind wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes, "I needed that today."

"Anyway," Nick continued with mock severity, "after everything you told me, about how wesen are taught to fear Grimms, maybe, just maybe, I need to be a bit more cautious and wary. And a little less judgmental."

"So, how did your case work out, with the eisbiber witness," Adalind asked.

"Well, it hasn't yet," Nick responded with impatience, "apparently I have to go to some Lodge meeting where they'll vote and decide if they want to take action against the hässlichen that the witness saw murder another man."

"That will be an interesting meeting, eisbibers and hässlichen have quite a history," Adalind responded, then her eyes lit up, "can I go with you? I would love to see how an Eisbiber Lodge operates."

"They're terrified enough," Nick replied, "no need to bring you along and terrify them even more."

"I'm not a hexenbiest anymore, Nick," Adalind huffed, "I'm not terrifying to anyone."

Nick snorted, "you're a lawyer, and that's terrifying enough."

"Fine," Adalind said with a pout.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Adalind shifted to look at him a little more closely, leaning in as if trying to see something in his eyes "By the way, I should have asked earlier, but is the spell broken for you? I mean, we weren't sure since you were a Grimm how it would work, so….did it? Work I mean?"

Nick looked at her for a long moment, and debated in his mind how to answer. He knew that spell was broken, but he also knew that real desire had spring up between them - at least it had for him. He was startled at the ease of conversation between them, and how nice it was to be able to tell someone everything about his day and have them not only understand the bizarreness of what was happening, but also could actively help him work through the very specific problems that came up in the course of investigating wesen related crimes.

He finished off the bottle in his hand and set it down, leaning in close to her, so close that their breath started to mingle.

"Yeah, the spell has been broken," Nick's replied in low voice, "But if you want to double check, just to be sure...I wouldn't say no."

Adalind's breathing hitched, and he saw then, in her eyes, that the desire, the _**real**_ desire, was mutual.

"Well, like you said, I am a lawyer," Adalind voice took on a seductive lilt, "it's important that we do our due diligence."

Their faces hovered close together for another moment, then they both moved together, as if by some unspoken mutual agreement. This kiss was light, so unlike the ones that they had previously shared, and Nick slanted his mouth over hers, running his tongue along her lower lip. Her mouth softened and opened under his slow assault, and something started to ache low and hot within him.

A loud throat clearing had them pulling apart reluctantly, and Nick turned to see a slightly inebriated man in his early to mid-thirties, sporting a three piece suit, looking at them.

"Is this guy bothering you, Adalind?" the man slurred slightly, and Nick sat back slightly and raised a challenging eyebrow at Adalind.

"This guy has been bothering me since the day I met him," Adalind replied as she bit back a smile, then added, "but I am pretty sure I can handle him."


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you as always for the reviews/comments - keeps the creative juices flowing :)

This chapter feels kinda transitional to me - setting the characters up for the next bit of action! The calm before the storm, so to speak ;)

Hope you enjoy!

 **CHAPTER TEN**

Adalind felt giddy, the wine causing her head to spin slightly. Nick was still looking at her with a look that was half amused, half desire. She liked the way he looked at her - she had never really laughed with Sean, or really any other man she had been with. She had liked what they could do for her, enjoyed the power her sexuality had over them, but she had never really bothered to enjoy them much beyond that.

"You can handle me, can you?," Nick tipped back in his chair, his eyebrows raised.

"I think I've proven that I can," Adalind responded, her eyes dancing mischievously, "at least three times I can think of right now."

Nick's eyes darkened slightly, and Adalind felt her body tingle in response, suddenly desperate to be away from the noise and light of the bar.

"You ready to get out of here?" Adalind asked, not waiting for his answer as she stood, shoving her arms quickly into her jacket and grabbing her bag. He grabbed her hand and together they shouldered their way through the crowded bar, finally making their way out in the cool night.

She shivered slightly, her suit not much of a barrier against the Portland evening. Nick dropped her hand and shrugged out of his coat, draping it around her shoulders. She had to laugh at how absurdly large it felt - and looked - on her slight frame. But it was warm, and it smelled like Nick, so she pulled it tighter around her as she walked.

"Thanks," She said gratefully and he smiled down at her, shoving his hands in his pocket to keep warm, "but now you're cold."

"It's okay, we're almost to the car," he shrugged nonchalantly.

Adalind tucked her arm into his elbow and laughed.

"Such the gentleman," she said flirtatiously, tugging him closer to her side, "who'd taught you such good manners?"

Nick furrowed his brow and concentrated for a moment before answering.

"I guess it was my dad," Nick said, a bit bemused, "I remember him doing things like that for my mom. I was twelve when they died, but I guess some stuff just sticks with you."

"How did your parents die?" Adalind asked, a bit hesitant to delve into something so personal.

"Car accident," Nick answered quickly, then sighed and added, "but now that I know what she was, I'm not convinced it was an accident."

Adalind nodded slowly, "That seems like a good assumption. Have you thought about looking into it?"

Nick shrugged, "I don't know, I mean, it wouldn't bring them back, so what's the point."

"Peace of mind," Adalind responded, "a chance for vengeance."

"Vengeance has never really been my thing…." Nick responded, but he started to sound unsure.

"Truly embracing your Grimm might change that," Adalind said thoughtfully, "this world...I don't even know how to explain it. There are so many people that want something from you, and if they don't get it…"

She trailed off and Nick sighed again.

"I was hoping that being a Grimm wouldn't really change who I am," he responded.

"I don't know if you'll have much choice in the matter," Adalind responded sympathetically, then squeezed his arm, "but this conversation has gotten way too serious and is ruining a perfectly good wine buzz."

They reached her office building and she stopped, tugging on his arm, a sudden thought coming to her.

"I think I left something in my office," Adalind's eyes sparkled up at him, "do you mind coming back up with me?"

He looked slightly suspicious, but nodded his head in agreement and followed her back into the building. The lobby was still well lit, but empty except for the security guard at the front desk.

"Hi there, Larry," Adalind said to the guard as they walked past, "Just forget something, shouldn't be too long."

"No problem, Ms. Schade," the man answered with a grin, "been a quiet night. It's always nice to see your smile though."

"How is that you managed to charm every man alive," Nick whispered as they waited for the elevator, "when you were a raging hexen-bitch."

The elevator doors opened before Adalind could properly form a retort. Nick grabbed her hand and pulled her in, pushing the button for her floor. As soon as the doors had closed, Adalind rounded on him.

"Hexen-bitch?" Adalind's eyes were wide in her indignation, and she poked a finger into his chest, "I can be _**very**_ likable when I choose to be, buddy."

"I've picked up on that," Nick said with a bit of a huff, "we haven't passed a man all night that didn't seem to find you...charming." He pinned her against the wall of the elevator with his arms and looked into her eyes, "you seemed to save all your venom just for me."

"I think we established this, Nick," Adalind said in exasperation, "You're a Grimm!"

"I guess I'm still just trying to figure out which one is the real you," Nick said quietly, wrapping a lock of her hair gently around his finger.

She leaned back against the elevator wall and sighed, "I guess I'm still trying to figure that out, too."

"I like this version," Nick said, his voice getting deeper as he dipped his head and kissed her lightly on the neck.

"Me, too." Adalind replied, her voice breathy as her hands fisted in his shirt, urging him closer to her.

The elevator dinged as it reached her floor, and Nick pushed away from her with a sigh. Adalind gave him a sympathetic smile as she walked past him, leading him through the dimly lit hallways to her office. At this point in the evening, the offices were all empty, and eerily quiet.

Adalind opened the door to her office, stepping aside to let Nick in, the swiftly closing it behind him.

"What did you need?" Nick asked her, and she noticed his eyes following her as she walked around him, leaning against her desk, his jacket still bundled around her.

"I have a feeling you know _**exactly**_ what I need," He quirked an eyebrow at her, and she threw her head back and laughed, "don't play coy now, Nick."

She pushed herself up from the desk, shrugging off Nick's coat, tossing it to the side, followed quickly by her suit jacket. She started working the small pearl buttons of her silk blouse, letting the silk fall lightly around her, pooling on the desk behind her.

"But if you need a little help remembering…." she whispered, sliding the straps from her white silk bra down her arms. NIck stepped towards her slowly, resting one hand along the side of her neck, his fingers trailing a light path down her shoulder, light goosebumps rising on her skin as her breathing became shallow.

"I could never forget anything about you," Nick said, seemingly surprised at his own admission, "not since that first moment I saw you….even then, I couldn't take my eyes off you."

His mouth descended on hers, the kiss light, the pressure increasing as she responded eagerly to him. He leaned into her, the pressure pushing her back against her desk, papers and folders scattering around them. Nick pushed her skirt up her thighs, and groaned.

"You're not wearing underwear," Nick's voice sounded painfully constricted as he allowed his hands to explore her.

Adalind gave him an innocent smile, "I guess I forgot to pack extra when I went to your place."

She reached down to release the garter holding up her silk stocking, but his hand grabbed hers and brought it to his mouth. He placed a kiss on her palm, then her wrist, "Leave them."

Adalind nodded and he dropped her hand. His hands grasped her hips and pulled her to the end of her desk, tilting her upwards slightly while he stepped between her legs. She gasped slightly, and then smiled.

"See, I can be _**quite**_ likable," she looked into his eyes, dark with desire, and laughed.

%%%%%

Nick couldn't sleep again. His dreams had been haunted by his parents again, likely brought to the forefront of his mind by his conversation with Adalind about their death. His eyes shifted to where she was sleeping next to him. When they had arrived home from her office, they had barely made it to the bedroom before he had wanted her again. He was starting to wonder what had been worse - the spell compelling him to be with her, or the actual desire to be with her. At least with the spell he had an excuse. Now, no excuses.

Adalind shifted slightly, and opened her eyes, unfocused from sleep. She gave him a sleepy smile, but then frowned, a look of concern crossing her features. She tentatively reached out, brushing a stray hair from his brow. He took her hand and tucked it close to his chest.

"Are you okay," Adalind asked quietly.

Nick hesitated for a moment, his natural reticence making him unsure of sharing his feelings.

"I dreamed about my parents murder," Nick admitted, "I suppose because we were talking about tonight. Maybe you were right, maybe I need to find out more. The threat may still be out there. Better the devil you know…"

Adalind nodded, "I understand that feeling. If there is anything I can do to help, I will. I still have contacts in the wesen underworld. I'm not sure they would know anything, but I can try."

Nick smiled at her in the dark, "thank you," he whispered, letting his hand brush her cheek, "try and get some sleep."

She returned his smile and closed her eyes. Nick watched her for a while before slipping into sleep.

%%%%%

Adalind walked into the Spice Shop at lunchtime, hoping that Rosalee wouldn't be busy. Adalind didn't have many female friends….especially after the last two had been murdered. But she needed to talk to another woman. One who would understand her conflicted feelings. A fuchsbau in love with a blutbad was about as close as she could get.

Rosalee looked up and gave her a wide, genuine smile. She walked around the counter and gave a surprised Adalind a hug.

"I never got a chance to thank you for everything you did for Ian," Rosalee said, "and for me."

"Sure," Adalind said, feeling awkward, "anytime."

"God, I hope that was a one time thing," Rosalee responded with a laugh before taking a step back, "So what's going on?"

"I was wondering if I could take you to lunch?" Adalind said, twisting her hands anxiously, "maybe have a talk."

"A talk, huh?" Rosalee said with a knowing smile and a lift of an eyebrow, "sure, I can close up for an hour. There's a cafe down the street. We can just walk there."

After they had settled at the cafe and ordered, Rosalee looked at her expectantly.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"We broke the spell," Adalind blurted out, and when Rosalee didn't look surprised, she blew out a sigh, "I suppose you knew that already?"

"Nick told Monroe," Rosalee answered honestly, "and Monroe can't keep anything from me. It's part of his charm."

"I should have known," Adalind said, sitting back and crossing her arms. She shook her head in disbelief, "I still can't get over it - a Grimm and a blutbad, hanging out, talking about their feelings."

"Well, I think Nick and Monroe are both an anomaly to their particular species," Rosalee said with a smile, "It's kind of amazing that they found each other, to be honest."

"Kinda like a Grimm and a hexenbiest," Adalind said ironically, "I guess a former hexenbiest. But still, it's what I was, what I was raised to be. I am still having a bit of trouble getting used to the idea of being friends, much less anything else, with a Grimm."

"I can understand your reservations," Rosalee responded, "I had them when I met Nick, too, but he has proven himself to be a good guy, a loyal friend. He wasn't at all what I expected a Grimm to be - what we were all _**taught**_ a Grimm would be."

Adalind nodded, and they fell silent as the waiter dropped off their food.

"Even if I could accept who he is as a Grimm," Adalind said between bites, "how can I ever expect him to accept what I used to be. How will he ever be able to look at me and not see what I did to his aunt and his partner."

Rosalee put her fork down and looked at Adalind, her face serious, "I did a lot of bad things when I was younger, but I was able to put it behind me, find people who accepted me for who I was. I had to be on my own for a bit to understand who I was, to learn to like the new me. You can, too."

"But you had to move to another city," Adalind pointed out, "you didn't stay and have to build a new life with the people you hurt standing behind you."

"That's true," Rosalee said thoughtfully, "I wouldn't say it's necessary to move, but in my case, it helped. No one here judges me, or what I did. They take me for who I am now."

Adalind sighed, "And that's not the only complication. Nick just broke up with Juliette. I'm not really on board with being anyone's rebound girl. Although, I'm not even really sure how serious that relationship was, I know they were living together, but….."

Rosalee shifted in her seat uncomfortably and looked down at her food.

"What?" Adalind demanded.

"Well, a few weeks ago, Nick proposed to Juliette," Rosalee admitted.

"What?!" Adalind was shocked, her fork dropping to the plate, "they were _**engaged**_?!"

"Well, no," Rosalee continued, still clearly uncomfortable, "Juliette turned him down, but didn't break up with him. She thought he was hiding things from her, but she still wanted to work on the relationship."

Adalind snorted at that admission, "Yeah, I would say he was hiding something pretty big."

"Look, if he had loved her as much as he thought he did, he would never have withheld the truth from her," Rosalee said, "and the idea that he could marry her and live happily ever after while keeping his grimm a secret from her was ludicrous. She was just that last piece of his normal life that he was trying to hang on to. But in the end, he knew it was kinder to end the relationship. She would never have understood, and she would never have been safe. And she would never know the true man that Nick was. And that's no basis for a relationship, and definitely not for a marriage."

Rosalee's words made Adalind feel a little better, but she was still uncomfortable with the knowledge that up until a few days ago, Nick was contemplating a life, and likely a family, with another woman. The connection she had felt to him since that night at the Spice Shop suddenly felt less special, and his attention more like that of a man who was used to having a woman in his life.

"All I know," Rosalee said reassuringly as she put her hand on Adalind's, "is that Nick does like you, Adalind. And that's a good start."

Adalind nodded with a small smile and continued eating her lunch, but the heavy feeling in her stomach just wouldn't go away.

Her phone buzzed next to her and she gave Rosalee an apologetic smile as she turned to take the call.

"Sean, how wonderful to hear from you again," Adalind answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Times almost up, Adalind," Sean replied, "What's your answer?"

%%%%%

Nick's day had already been ridiculously frustrating, and it was barely lunchtime. He had attended the Eisbiber Lodge meeting, only to be met with a resounding "NO" when it came to whether the witness should come forward and identify the hasslich that had murdered the man found in the cement. They topped it off by respectfully requesting that Nick not take their heads off for not agreeing to do as he asked. Not only did he not get the witness to cooperate, he was shown yet another example of how feared Grimms were in the wesen community.

He sat in his car and closed his eyes, unsure what to do next with his murder suspect. With no witness, all he had was his gut, and that wasn't enough to arrest the guy.

In his pocket, his phone rang and he quickly pulled it out, a smile coming unbidden to his face when he noted that it was Adalind that was calling.

"Hi there," he said in greeting.

"Hey, Nick," Adalind replied, her voice sounding a little hesitant, and he frowned.

"Everything okay?" he asked, sitting up a little straighter in his seat.

"Oh, yeah, everything is fine," Adalind responded, "I just got a call from Sean and he wants me to meet him to talk about his offer for me to leave town, and I wasn't sure how you wanted me to respond."

"Right….Renard," Nick sighed, another problem on his plate for the day, "Go ahead and set up the meet, somewhere private, and I'll come pick you up. We'll go together. It's time we put a stop to this whole thing."

He heard Adalind take a deep breath on the other end.

"Okay, if you think that's best," Adalind sounded resigned on the other side of the line, and he wondered at it.

"I do," Nick responded gently, "for all of us. No more secrets. And I won't let him hurt you, Adalind. I promise you."

"Thanks, Nick," Adalind responded, sounding a bit more like her old self, "I appreciate everything you did, and are doing, to help me. I'll call you back when I have a time."

She disconnected the call before he had a chance to answer and he frowned down at his phone. He supposed he could chalk up her odd behaviour to having to meet with Renard, and the inevitable confrontation, but it seemed like more.

For now, the questions would have to wait. He had a murderer to catch - and his Captain to threaten.

%%%%%

Two hours later, Adalind was in Nick's car, wringing her hands nervously as he drove them to the abandoned warehouse where she had set up the meeting with Sean.

"Hey," Nick said next to her, putting his hand on her clenched fists, "It's going to be okay."

"I know," Adalind replied, but her stomach remained in knots. The truth was it had nothing to do with meeting with Sean - she knew Nick could hold his own against Sean - but more with what would happen with Nick once the meeting was over. Once Sean was no longer a threat, she didn't have any reason to need his protection. She may never see him again, and the thought stung more than she had ever thought it would.

Nick parked the car, and they walked the short distance to the entrance of the warehouse, his eyes scanning his surroundings. No way did he trust Renard not to try something in such a remote meeting place.

Adalind led him up to a large, open space where Renard stood waiting, his back to them as he looked out the window.

"I was surprised you picked such a remote location, Adalind," Renard said without turning around, "I thought you would be to afraid to come to a place like this alone."

"I would have been," Adalind answered, her confidence returning as she felt the familiar thrill of confrontation, "if I was alone."

Renard sucked in a sharp breath and spun around, woged into the frightening visage of a half zauberbiest. Nick already had his gun out and pointed at him, a smirk on his face as he saw what his Captain really was.

"Now Captain, is that anyway to greet your 'pet Grimm'," Nick asked sarcastically.

"You bitch," Sean started to advance on Adalind, and Nick stepped in front of her.

"Don't even think about it," Nick's voice was threatening, and Renard regarded him closely, a cynical smile forming on his mouth.

"Charmed you, has she?," Sean gave him a knowing look, "I understand, believe me, I do. I've been there."

Adalind inhaled sharply and started to step forward, but Nick stopped her with a shake of his head. Renard was purposely goading her, and they couldn't let him get the upper hand.

"This isn't about Adalind," Nick replied, ignoring Sean's taunts, "this is about you and me, and how you have been manipulating me for months."

"You're right," Sean answered, swiftly switching gears and taking his focus off Adalind, "this is about you and me. And how we can work together."

"Work together?" Nick scoffed, "that may be a little difficult now that I know that you tried to have my aunt killed, not to mention what you had Adalind do to Hank."

Sean held his hands up in mock surrender, "I admit, mistakes were made, but I had no idea what kind of Grimm you would be. And as I am sure Adalind has explained to you, there is more at stake here than you could imagine. This is bigger than you, and bigger than me. Once the royal family knows about you, they won't hesitate to try and recruit you, and if that doesn't work, get rid of you. They want that key, Nick, you have no idea how important this is."

"I have a pretty good idea," Nick responded, his eyes sliding to Adalind, then back to Sean.

"And you can kill me, and this won't end," Sean continued calmly, "or I could kill you, but this still won't end. So unless you and I can figure out a way to resolve our differences, they will win, Nick."

"The royal families," Nick concluded.

"Like I said, it's a lot bigger than you and I," Sean responded, "and we're going to have to deal with this one way or another."

"And what about Adalind?" Nick asked, his stance relaxing slightly.

"Believe me, nobody wants this thing between Adalind and I to end more than I do," Sean responded with a hint of sarcasm.

"I think I could give you a run for your money on that one," Adalind responded with a huff, "so you might want to stop talking about me like I'm not in the room."

Sean's eyes flashed dangerously as he flicked his gaze to her, "I don't think you are in any position to be making demands."

"Actually, she is," Nick responded, a bit smug, "because if you continue to be a threat to her, there is no way that I am going to help you."

"God, you're good," Sean said, his eyes still on her.

"I'm pretty sure that's not a compliment," Adalind answered sarcastically, "but just so we're clear, I'm not the one manipulating the situation. That's you, remember?"

"I guess this means you aren't taking me up on my generous offer," Sean responded through gritted teeth. Adalind gave him a condescending smile and shook her head. Sean's gaze returned to Nick, "Fine, you have my word, I'm no longer a threat to her."

"Good," Nick replied, lowering his weapon.

Sean's eyes returned to hers, and she shivered when she saw what was in them, "You may want to have a chat with your mother, though. She may be a bigger threat you than I ever way. She's been a bit…..unsettled by recent developments in your life."

"What do you mean?" Adalind asked, immediately suspicious.

"I think you know," Sean replied with a cold smile, as he glanced in Nick's direction and then back to her.

"Why would my mother confide that in you?" Adalind asked, and Sean's smile turned to a smirk.

"Pillow talk," he replied casually, and Adalind narrowed her eyes.

"You slept with my mother?!," her voice full of contempt, anger clouding her judgment as she took a step towards him. Nick held out an arm, lightly holding her back. She took a deep breath, then asked, "how long?"

"A few months," Sean replied with a casual shrug of his shoulders, then smiled cooly, "but none of that really matters now that you have the Grimm on your side, does it."

Adalind closed her eyes against the pain of Sean's admission of his further betrayal, replying shortly, "No, it doesn't matter anymore. YOU don't matter anymore."

They continued to glare at each other for several seconds, then Nick cleared his throat.

"I think we're getting a little off track here," he said, obviously uncomfortable with the underlying tension, "the three of us may never be friends, but someone has to start trusting someone at some point."

Adalind huffed out a laugh, "I wouldn't trust Sean as far as I could throw him...which isn't very far, considering I'm not a hexenbiest anymore."

"Well, as a sign of good faith, I may have some information that would be helpful to you," Sean directed his attention to Nick once more, "There are two reapers on their way here from Germany. And they're coming for you."


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks once again for all your wonderful comments/reviews! It helps feed the muse and the creative juices flowing!

This chapter wraps up any references to 01x19 Leave it to Beavers - it went in a bit of a different direction than I originally intended, but sometimes that is a good thing! Hope you enjoy!

 **CHAPTER ELEVEN**

"What?" Nick was incredulous at Renard's revelation, "why?"

"The short answer, you're a Grimm," Renards answered wryly, then continued more seriously, "But the long answer someone thinks you put your nose somewhere it didn't belong. Namely in this eisbiber and hässlichen situation."

Nick ran a weary hand across his face before responding.

"When can I expect to meet these reapers."

"The information I received said they would be arriving tonight," Sean responded, pulling his gloves on and walking towards the door of the warehouse, before turning back, "you see, Nick, I've been protecting you in more ways than you could ever know. Now that everything is out in the open, we can help each other. I hope you can see that, and don't let trivial things, " his eyes flicked to Adalind "…..cloud your judgment."

He gave a withering glance to Adalind and walked out, leaving Nick and Adalind alone in the cold, empty warehouse.

"Well, that was fun," Adalind said sarcastically.

"Yeah, a real barrel of laughs," Nick replied, then sighed, "what the hell am I going to do about these two reapers that are coming to town."

"First, find them before they find you," Adalind answered, "then kill them."

"Again with the killing," Nick said, his tone exasperated.

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, Nick," Adalind replied, throwing her hands in the air, "they haven't come all this way to have a reasonable conversation with you."

"I know, I know," Nick sat heavily on an empty crate and put his head in his hands, "but this isn't how it's supposed to be. I'm a cop. I find killers. I'm not one."

He felt Adalind walk behind him, hesitate, and then put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It's not like you go looking for these people, NIck," her voice was soothing as her thumb moved in a gentle up and down motion, "they find you. And you have to defend yourself."

"My Aunt told me this was our family's curse," Nick responded, looking up at her, "I'm starting to get the picture a little clearer."

Nick's phone ringing echoed in the empty warehouse and he sighed and pulled it out, murmuring, "duty calls."

"Burkhardt," he answered, his eyes still on Adalind, then shifted away slightly as he listed to the caller on the end of the line.

"That's great news, Bud," Nick replied, "I'll meet you both at the station in twenty minutes."

He hung up the phone and gave Adalind a triumphant smile.

"My missing witness is missing no more," Nick slipped his phone into his pocket and stood, "I have to get back to the station."

"The eisbiber witness?" Adalind asked her brows raising, and at Nick's nod, she smiled, "you have to let me come with you Nick. I _**really**_ want to see how they interact with a Grimm."

"No way," Nick said with a shake of his head, then continued when she frowned, "have you forgotten that Hank is my partner and that he'll be there, too. Not to mention Renard."

"Oh ya," Adalind said, her shoulders drooping, "I guess it would be hard to explain to Hank why I am there. I suppose I owe him an apology, don't I.

"Ya, you do, but I'm not really sure how exactly to frame that particular conversation," Nick replied with a snort, "the 'devil made me do it' defense doesn't work so well on humans."

"And me showing up with you…." her voice trailed off, and she sighed, "have you ever considered telling him everything? Do you think he can handle it?"

"I don't know," Nick answered honestly, "I would like to think that he could, and it would make things so much easier, but I'm pretty sure he would just think that I've gone crazy."

"That may be something Monroe could help you with," Adalind replied, "or even Sean, since he actually already knows and trusts him."

"Yeah, and how much will he trust him after I tell him about how the Captain almost killed him," Nick's fist clenched at the thought, then he shook his head and looked at her again, a small smile forming, "at any rate, right now you are just a crazy woman he dated a few times….nothing more, nothing less. I'm not sure how he would react to our...involvement."

"Fine," Adalind huffed out a sigh, "but one of these days, you're going to introduce me to these eisbibers."

"As long as you promise to play nice," Nick said with a smile, "Now where do you want me to drop you off? I gotta get to the station."

"Work," Adalind said with another sigh, "I took a long lunch with Rosalee today, and now with this little meeting, I've put myself a bit behind."

"You went to lunch with Rosalee?" Nick couldn't hide the surprise in his voice as they walked back to his car.

"I did," Adalind said with a smile, "I like her alot. And amazingly, she seems to like me, too."

"Well, we did establish last night that you are quite _**likable**_ ," Nick said with a bit of a grin, and Adalind couldn't help but return the smile.

"This is a bit different," Adalind replied, "I haven't had a friend like her…...well, ever, really. Most of my female friends have always been other hexenbiests, and they aren't exactly the most helpful or selfless creatures in the world."

"I'm glad," Nick replied, opening the door of the car for her, then walking around and climbing in, "Rosalee has been a good friend to me, and believe me, she didn't have to be. Being friends with a Grimm isn't going to make her any friends."

"I don't know about that," Adalind smiled, "that's the only reason I met her."

"Fair enough," Nick nodded, "but in the grander scheme of things, I worry that I am going to bring her more harm than good. I don't want to be the cause of anyone else's pain."

"Rosalee, and Monroe, know the risks," Adalind replied, "they help you because they know you are trying to be a better kind of Grimm. Hopefully the rest of the world will see that, too."

They settled into a comfortable silence until they reached Adalind's building. She put her bag of her shoulder and then turned to him.

"Now that things with Sean are settled, I suppose I can go back home," Adalind said, her voice quiet as she looked at Nick, trying to gauge his reaction to her words.

Nick shifted in his seat so that he was facing her, putting his hand on hers. She met his gaze and held it, waiting for his response.

"Maybe…..maybe we should give it a day or two," Nick responded, his voice full of concern, "I don't trust Renard, and he did mention that your mother may be a threat to you, too, so I think you should stay, just for a few more days…."

His voice trailed off and he hoped that he was convincing. The uncomfortable truth was that he wasn't ready to let her go quite yet, not that he would admit that to her. She continued to look at him for a beat, and he felt sure that she could see through his flimsy excuse, but she merely smiled and nodded.

"You're probably right," she inched closer and brushed her lips lightly against his, and then pulled back, "I'm not quite safe yet."

She turned and hopped out of the car, and Nick watcher her until she was safely inside the building, the smile never quite leaving his face.

%%%%%

Catherine Schade watched her daughter walk into her office building and the Grimm drive away. This would not do. The Grimm had ruined her daughter, and he was going to pay dearly.

Catherine knew that she needed to bide her time. Sean would be livid with her if he knew that she was plotting against the Grimm. That's all the man cared about, securing the loyalty of the Grimm. He would kill anyone who got in the way of that, including Catherine herself.

She needed to be sure that she had an escape plan in place for after she was done with the Grimm. And if her traitorous daughter got in her way, she would just have to take care of her, too. No one got away with humiliating Catherine Schade and lived to tell about it - no one.

%%%%%

NIck and Hank made quick work of taking the statement of their witness and bringing in their suspect, but it was still late when they had finished up, and there had been no time for Nick to figure out what to do about his Reaper problem. His conversation with Adalind regarding telling Hank the truth ran through his head as he wished that he could share the burden with his partner. But there was no time for that now, and Nick sighed in frustration.

He looked down as his phone vibrated, a message from Adalind popping on the screen.

"Figured you were working late, so I asked Rosalee to come get me. At the Spice Shop. Check in when you can."

He quickly replied, letting her know that he as still at the precinct and would be taking the still nervous eisbibers back to their Lodge. After he finished that, he could head to the Spice Shop and hopefully, together, they could all come up with a plan to deal with the Reapers that were coming after him.

Realizing that time was of the essence, his thoughts shifted back to Hank.

"Would you mind taking the witness and his friends home?" Nick asked, turning to his partner, "I just realized there is somewhere I need to be."

Hank eyed him for a moment, and Nick knew that his partner was still trying to figure out what was going on with him. Finally he nodded.

"Sure, man," Hank said, though Nick could hear a thread of concern in his voice, "take care of what you need to take care of."

"Thanks," Nick grabbed his jacket and walked over to the three eisbibers standing by the door, "hey guys, Hank is going to take you where you need to go. You can trust him, but just remember, he doesn't know what you are...or what I am, so keep that part to yourself."

"Sure, Nick, right, of course, any friend of yours has to be trustworthy, right," Bud, the first eisbiber Nick had met, sputtered.

"Something like that," Nick muttered, thinking that he had been less than trustworthy recently. Shrugging of the thought, he gave Bud a reassuring smile, "he'll take care of you. Thanks, Bud, for helping out."

Bud beamed at the praise, but Nick stepped away before he could start fawning over him again and quickly walked out of the precinct.

%%%%%

Adalind nervously fidgeted with the potion bottles in her hand. Rosalee was finishing up in the shop, and Adalind was a bundle of nerves as she waited to hear again from Nick. The thought of the Reapers finding him before he found them weighed heavily on her. She looked up expectantly as the door opened, but sighed when Monroe walked in, not Nick.

"Oh, it's just you," Adalind mumbled.

"Nice to see you, too," Monroe frowned, then noted the concern on her face, "what is it now?"

"Reapers," Adalind answered, knowing that he would understand.

"Hate those guys," Monroe responded, "what about them?"

"Two of them are expected tonight," Adalind looked up at him, "they're coming for Nick."

"Well, yeah, he is a Grimm," Monroe responded reasonably, "so, what's the plan?"

"That's the thing, there is no plan!" Adalind pushed up from the counter and started to pace nervously, "and I'm worried, I mean Nick is good, but is he 'two reapers' good?"

"He's not exactly on his own with this, though," Monroe sat down and looked thoughtful, "he is pretty good at the grimm stuff, and I'm no slouch in a fight. I think it would be a pretty fair fight between the four of us."

"I don't want it to be a 'fair fight'," Adalind responded, "You can bet that the Reapers won't fight fair, so why should we."

"So, it's 'we' now, is it?" Monroe said with a small smile. She gave him what she hoped was a stern look, and he cleared his throat, "right, not the time for that. So what are you thinking?"

"Well, right now the advantage is that they don't know that Nick is aware that they are coming," Adalind replied thoughtfully, "So we need to find them before they find Nick."

"It's too late for that," they both turned to see Nick standing in the doorway, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"What is it?' Adalind asked cautiously.

"They took Hank," Nick responded angrily. Adalind felt a wave of remorse as she realized she had made Nick feel this way not even a week ago.

"Why did they take Hank?" Monroe shook his head, "why wouldn't they just come after you."

"They thought it was me," Nick said, his voice full of guilt, "I asked Hank to take Bud and the other eisbibers back to the lodge so I could come here, and I guess they reapers had information telling them it would be me. When they realized it wasn't, they called me and told me that if I wanted to see Hank again, I needed to come to the warehouse where they are holding him."

"At least they didn't kill him," Monroe sighed, "I mean, it's not great that they took him in the first place, but they could have just killed him and come after you, so if you're looking for a silver lining…."

"I'm not," Nick responded through gritted teeth, "I need to figure out how to get him out of there….and not lose my head."

"We need to go to the trailer," Monroe replied, and Nick nodded.

%%%%%

Nick hadn't really planned on bringing Adalind to his aunt's trailer….ever, really, but Monroe had been hesitant to leave Rosalee alone at the shop, and there was no way he could leave Adalind completely alone. So here they all were, crammed into the tiny trailer.

"Oh my God, this place is amazing," Nick heard Rosalee say as he and Monroe opened the weapons cabinet.

"Some of these things are really rare," Adalind's voice joined Rosalee's, and he heard them rummaging through the jars behind him, "and really old."

"I would love to give you guys a tour sometime," Nick said shortly, "but right now, we need to get moving."

"We're sorry, Nick," Rosalee responded, a bit embarrassed, "we know it's not the right time, this place is just so much more than we could have ever imagined."

Nick nodded, and shifted his gaze to Adalind, who was looking down at the open book on the desk. He realized with a grimace that the page was still open to the entry on hexenbiests. He walked next to her and looked over her shoulder.

"So, do you think it's accurate?" he asked her, and she shrugged.

"I can't really argue with it," she said with a sigh, "I guess I can see why you weren't so fond of hexenbiests in general, and me specifically."

"Ya, well, a lot can change in a short time," Nick said with a sigh, as he held up the crossbow in his hand, "I'm proof of that as much as you are."

"Fair enough," Adalind slammed the book with finality and looked up at him expectantly, "so, you get the crossbow, what do I get?"

"You get to wait in the car," Nick answered dryly, as they trooped out of the trailer.

"C'mon Nick!" Adalind practically whined, "let me do something."

"You're the getaway driver," Nick tried to placate her.

"Likely story," Adalind huffed out. Nick stopped short and took her arm while Monroe and Rosalee got in the car.

"Adalind, if I have to worry about you, I'm not concentrating on killing the Reapers," Nick tried to appeal to her more reasonable side, assuming she even had one.

"Fine, but if you're in there too long, I'm coming in after you," she grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him close to her, pressing a hard kiss to his mouth before releasing him, turning and heading to the car.

Nick took a deep breath as he watched her walk away, refocusing on the mission ahead, and his partner who needed him.

%%%%%

Hank considered himself to be a reasonable man, but his current situation had him questioning his very sanity. The two men who were holding him seemed to be able to change their faces into some kind of troll-like mask, their ears turning pointy, and their eyes protruding. Hank had to believe that they were masks...anything else meant he was going crazy.

He had to keep his wits about him. He knew that he was in a seemingly abandoned warehouse, close to where he had dropped off the witnesses for the homicide he and Nick had been working earlier that day. He also knew that he was tied quite firmly to a chair, his hands behind his back, his chest to the back of the chair, and his feet to the legs. They had left very little room to maneuver. Any attempt to shimmy out of his bonds met with immediate and painful resistance from the ropes. This led him to the conclusion that these men were professionals, but Hank had no idea who had hired them, or why. His only clue was that they wanted Nick and, in fact, seemed to have very little interest in Hank himself. It appeared he was bait. He had to wonder what his partners had been up to for things to have come to this.

He had heard them call Nick, knew he was coming, and he needed to be ready to assist his partner when he got there. Not that he would be much help, tied to a chair, but he had to be ready to do whatever he could. He had heard the men referring to Nick as "the Grimm." Clearly they were mentally unstable. He hoped that Nick had picked up on that when they called him.

One of the men was waiting by the window, waiting for Nick to show up. Hank hoped Nick would bring some back up, but the men had told him to come alone, so who knew what his younger partner would decide to do. Hank's instincts as a cop, coupled with the adrenaline pumping through his body were currently overriding any fear he would be feeling. If he had to put a label on his feelings right now, he would say he was mad as hell.

The man at window suddenly moved away and walked toward the other man, saying something low in a language that Hank didn't understand. They didn't even spare him a glance as they both walked out of the room. Hank had to assume that Nick had showed up, a suspicion that was confirmed when Nick walked through the door a moment later, gun drawn, a bag over his shoulder. Immediately behind him was another man, the same man that he had seen at Adalind's house the week before when he had woken up, disoriented, in her bed.

Nick made eye contact with him, and Hank raised an eyebrow at him in question. Nick flicked his gaze to his companion, and the man moved over to Hank cautiously, moving to untie the ropes wrapped around Hank's body.

"Nick...what the hell?" Hank asked quietly as Nick continued to survey the room, his eyes moving over every inch.

"They just wanted to get me here," Nick replied, as if that answered the question, "Monroe, get Hank out of here. I can take care of the Reapers."

"Nick, dude, I don't think that's such a good idea," the man Nick had called Monroe replied, "two on one are never good odds."

"I really don't have time to argue about it," Nick's tone was impatient, "but if you're going to stay, let me do what I need to do."

"What the hell is going on?" Hank repeated, his voice louder this time as he fought to keep control of his anger.

Nick looked at him, and Hank could see the conflict in his eyes before he finally answered, "It's complicated. But I'll tell you everything when this is over. Please just trust me for now."

Hank gave Nick a nod with a quick jerk of his head. What choice did have have, really.

"Stay with him," Nick said to Monroe, and then moved in the direction that the two kidnappers had headed.

"I'm Monroe, by the way," the man said, continuing to work on the ropes that were binding him, "and I know all of this seems really bizarre and out there, but…..well, to be honest, it's only going to get more bizarre and out there, so I guess that's not very reassuring, is it."

The obvious sounds of a fight broke the awkward moment, and Hank instinctively started to work to try and help Monroe free him from the ropes. As soon as he was free he jumped up and both he and Monroe ran to the sounds of the fight, just in time to see one of the attackers wielding a scythe, aiming for Nick's neck. Nick ducked at the last possible moment, and the scythe met the neck of the second kidnapper, his head falling from his body.

The attacker howled in rage, his face transforming as Hank had seen earlier. Hank looked at Monroe to see if the other man was seeing what he was seeing, only to find that Monroe's face had contorted into a wolf-like visage. Hank stumbled backwards, his eyes moving between the transformed faces of the two men. His eyes fell on Nick just as he reached into his bag and pulled out what appeared to be a small crossbow, shooting the second assailant. The man fell over, dead, and the room went silent. Hank watched as the dead man's face changed, taking on its human form. Monroe's face had also changed back to human, and Hank closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he looked at his partner.

"You need to tell me what's going on," Hank said, his voice calmer than he felt, "and you need to tell me now."

%%%%%

"This is taking too long," Adalind said, pushing the car door open. Rosalee grabbed her arm, stopping her from getting out of the car.

"Let's give them a few more minutes," Rosalee said calmly, though her eyes showed the same level of concern.

"How can you just sit here?" Adalind replied, frustrated, "I hate doing nothing!"

"I do, too," Rosalee responded, "I just try and think things through before rushing into them."

"That's not my strong suit," Adalind replied with a disgruntled sigh. They sat quietly in the car for a few more minutes, Adalind growing more agitated as the seconds ticked by.

"Okay," Rosalee finally said, "I think we should go in now."

"Finally!" Adalind practically shouted as they both got out of the car and headed toward the building.

They walked inside and both stopped, listening for sounds of a struggle. Instead, they heard voices, relatively calm voices, talking. Adalind exchanged a puzzled glance with Rosalee and they moved toward the sound. Adalind peaked through the doorway and saw two men on the ground, likely dead. Since she didn't recognize them, she assumed they were the Reapers, and sighed with relief, her eyes then landing on Nick, then Monroe….then widened in horror as she saw that Hank was still there. Rosalee had eyes only for Monroe and ran into the room, throwing her arms around him.

Adalind started to back out slowly, hoping that Hank wouldn't notice her presence, but Nick made eye contact with her and got up quickly, walking toward her. He grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"I had to tell him…..everything," Nick said quietly.

"Everything?" Adalind asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Well, maybe not everything," he said with a pained smile, "but he knows who told you to put him under the spell, and he knows that you no longer have any powers….and that you are helping me now. It's a lot for him to take in, though."

"Ya, I agree," Adalind responded, then added, "so I think I should go. I can meet you back at your place."

Nick hesitated, and then nodded in agreement, "yeah, I think maybe you're right….why don't you and Rosalee take my car. I think Monroe and I will take him to the trailer. We'll catch a ride home with Hank."

"Okay," Adalind sighed, then she smiled, "I'm glad you're okay."

Nick squeezed her hand in answer, his gaze lingering on her for just a moment before he let it go and walked back to where Hank was sitting, still looking slightly shell shocked. Rosalee came up beside her and the two quietly left.

"I'm never going to be able to get past what I did, am I?" Adalind asked when they were finally outside, "it's just always going to be there between us."

"You have to give it some time," Rosalee gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "Everything will work out the way it should."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Adalind answered.

%%%%%

Nick was tired. Not just physically, but emotionally, as well. They had taken Hank to the trailer and given him the full story on wesen, grimms...the whole nine yards. Monroe had, with some prompting from Nick, allowed a bewildered Hank to see his woged form. Nick had given him the basic rundown on his ancestors, and allowed Hank to peruse the books and other oddities in the trailer. They had been there for hours. He knew he needed to give Hank time to adjust to this new reality, but he just wanted to go home, go to bed….go to Adalind. A pit opened up in his stomach as he thought about her, and what his partner would think of that relationship, if they could even call it a relationship.

"So, you've seen all of these….things in Portland," Hank asked, looking up at Nick.

Nick shrugged, "a few, but there are hundreds of different types of wesen. I doubt I'll ever see all of them."

"You've been living one weird life," Hank muttered under his breath, returning his attention back to the book. He perked up slightly as he turned to the page on hexenbiests, "and this is what Adalind is? Or was, I guess I should say?"

"Yeah," Nick responded, unsure what else to add to the conversation. He caught Monroe's eye, but the other man just shrugged, just as uncertain.

"You said she's been staying with you, for protection from the captain, right?" Hank's gaze again found his, but this time the look Hank gave him was sharper, as if pieces of a puzzle were coming together. Nick nodded, and Hank continued, "and you and Juliette broke up?"

"We did," Nick replied slowly "because of all this. What I am had already put her in danger, and I couldn't let that keep happening. I'm just sorry that you got dragged into all of this."

"Me too," Hanks replied, but there was no real anger behind it, "but what I'm thinking about is you coming to work the other day….you didn't look like a man that had just broken up with the love of his life. And you definitely didn't look like a man that had spent the night alone."

Nick shifted from what foot to the other, trying to formulate a response, but before he could come up with anything, Monroe came to his rescue.

"When Nick took Adalind's powers to save your life, something...odd happened," Monroe began, standing up and pacing the small space in the trailer, "a spell was cast on the two of them that created some sort of weird, unrelenting desire for one another. We all looked for other options, but, unfortunately the only way to break the spell was to….well, I think you know where I'm going with this."

"You slept with her," Hank said matter of factly, "to break the spell?"

"Exactly," Nick sighed in relief, "to break the spell."

"And it was just that one time?" Hank eyes him curiously and Nick started to hope that a hole would open up in the earth and swallow him.

"Five times," Nick said in a low voice, unwilling to lie to his partner.

"Duuuuuude," Monroe closed his eyes and threw up his hands, "you did not need to be so specific...wait, I thought it was three?"

"I'm not going to lie about it," Nick said, suddenly defensive, "since the hexenbiest spirit left Adalind, she has been a different person, and I _**like**_ that person, and maybe I'm an idiot for liking that person, but there it is."

Nick sat down and fumed as Hank watched him.

"For what it's worth," Hank said as he turned back to the books, "once the spell Adalind had put on me wore off, I didn't have feelings for her at all. In fact, in this moment, I can say without a doubt, that I would not want to date that woman. Not sure why anyone else would either, but after tonight, I am convinced there is a lot I don't know, and even more I don't understand, so I am not going to judge...for now"

Nick didn't answer, just nodded absently at his partner's attempt to reassure him that Adalind's involvement in their lives wouldn't cause any immediate friction between the two partners. Nick's relief was palpable, and he took a deep breath, sat back, and let his partner become more acquainted with the wesen world.

%%%%%

Adalind had eaten almost an entire apple pie by the time Nick finally walked through the door. He threw down his wallet, badge and keys and then walked to the couch, sitting down heavily next to her. Wordlessly, he took the fork from her hand and took a bite from the pie that she had been working on. He chewed for a minute, then looked at her.

"This is really good," he said, taking another bite.

"Well don't look at me," Adalind replied, "I didn't bake this….or the five other pies that are sitting in your kitchen."

At his questioning look, she continued with a smile, "I'm guessing eisbibers."

Nick nodded in sudden understanding, then leaned his head back against the couch. Adalind hesitated only a moment before setting down the pie and running her fingers gently through his hair. She smiled as he leaned his head into her hand.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but how'd it go with Hank?" she asked him.

"As good as can be expected, I guess.," Nick replied, his eyes closed, "he knows everything now...and I mean everything."

"Oh," Adalind replied, unsure what else to say.

"He took it well, but we'll see how he feels after the shock wears off," Nick sighed and opened his eyes to look at her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "did you really eat two thirds of a pie?"

"Well, I didn't have dinner," Adalind huffed out in reply.

He laughed in reply, then tugged her into his lap, his mouth capturing hers in a kiss. He tasted of spiced apples, and Adalind lost herself in the kiss, her hands pushing open the jacket he still wore and wrapping around him. His hand threaded into her long hair, lightly massaging the sensitive skin, and she sighed. She felt his mouth curve into a smile against her lips before he pulled away from her slightly.

"Well, " he replied, a hint of wickedness in his tone and a seductive glint in his eye, "I haven't eaten all day, and I am starving."


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry this was a day later than usual - computer issues and a four year old are mostly to blame! That, and this chapter is a bit longer than the others...

This chapter references things that happened in "Woman in Black" (01x22) - and that episode talks a lot about "the coins," so hopefully everyone remembers a bit about that story line (although I did try and add some explanation (hopefully not too much).

Also, I am truly thankful for every review, follow and favorite. It means a lot knowing that others are enjoying the story!

 **CHAPTER TWELVE**

Adalind tapped her pen restlessly against the folder on her desk, her thoughts too scattered to concentrate on work. The past week had been uneventful, which should have been a relief, but the lack of intrigue and drama forced her to focus on the vaguely unsettled feeling she had about her future.

She continued to stay with Nick, but the protection angle was starting wear thin, and she was considering how best to extract herself from the situation without ruining the tentative relationship that they had started. It wasn't that she wanted to leave, more that the speed at which things were happening was starting to scare her, and some distance would likely give them both some much needed clarity.

Not to mention that she had been too afraid to bring up the prickly topic of Juliette. Nick had mentioned her in passing when they had gone to dinner a few nights ago - he had wanted to get out of the house so Juliette could get her things. Amazing that in two years of living together, Juliette was able to clear out what she wanted in such a short time, but when they returned, the house had been stripped of all reminders of Nick's former love. If only Adalind could convince herself that she was so easily erased from Nick's mind as from his home.

Adalind's phone buzzed next to her and she pulled herself back from her depressing thoughts and answered.

"Adalind Schade," she answered, refocusing her mind.

"Adalind, its Jimmy," came the reply, and Adalind sat up a little straighter in her chair.

"Jimmy, what did you find?" she asked with no small amount of anticipation.

"Check your email," he replied, and Adalind turned to the monitor and opened her personal email. Finding the email from Jimmy, she double clicked on the attachment and a photo of a man popped up on her screen. He appeared to be of asian descent and had a small blue tattoo on the left side of his face that looked like a snowflake.

"And just who is this," Adalind asked, her eyes looking for other clues in the picture.

"This is Akira Kimura, and he is an agent of Dragon's Tongue," Jimmy replied, "In case you haven't heard of them, they are similar to our friends in the Verrat, except they work for the royal family of Japan. While the European royal families have been busy looking for the keys, the Japanese royal family has been busy looking for the Coins of Zakynthos."

"And what does this have to do with the accident that killed Kelly Burkhardt and her husband?," Adalind had a feeling she already knew, but was eager for the confirmation from her source.

"Kimura, along with three associates, caused the accident that killed the Grimm and her husband in 1994," Jimmy provided, "what's interesting is that the three associates were killed in Portland not that long ago, which has me a bit interested in why you need this information."

"It's not your job to think, Jimmy," Adalind warned, "I ask for information and you provide it, not the other way around."

"From what I understand, you aren't in a position to make threats anymore," Jimmy's voice dripped with condescension and Adalind sucked in a breath. It appeared word of her lack of powers was getting out, and she had little doubt on where the leak came from.

"All you need to understand," Adalind replied calmly, "is that I still have powerful friends, and I can still cause you a world of misery. And I'm not talking about Sean...this is bigger than him, and he knows it."

"You're talking about the Grimm, aren't you?" Jimmy's voice faltered a little, and Adalind was gratified by the fear that she heard, "fine, I'll tell you everything I got, but this is it for us. I don't want to be associated with a Grimm."

"You aren't exactly in a position to make threats, Jimmy," Adalind threw his words back at him, "so tell me what you know, and I'll consider the request to leave you alone."

"Kimura is on the hunt for the Coins," Jimmy replied quickly, "he's hired a private investigator in Portland to find out why the other three were here. The PI has been following a few people in the city, trying to figure out who ended up with them. If I had to guess, I would say Kimura would be in Portland sooner, rather than later. And he'll be after the Coins."

"Send me the list of people that the PI has been following," Adalind replied, and an email immediately showed up in her Inbox.

"That's all I got," Jimmy said, "are we done here?"

"For now," Adalind replied, and then disconnected the call.

Adalind opened the second email from Jimmy, clicking on the attachment that he had sent with the details of the PI that was investigating on behalf of Kimura. She wasn't surprised to see pictures of Nick pop up on her screen, along with others of Hank, Sean and Monroe. She was, however, startled to see a picture of herself with Nick, at a restaurant in downtown Portland. Adalind wondered for a moment if, in addition to the key Marie left, Nick also had the Coins. It seemed likely given that his mother had apparently died hiding them, and three others had come to Portland looking for them. It was possible that Nick was already aware of the danger that he and the others were in, but she still needed to warn him that the threat was near, and it was coming for all of them.

%%%%%

Nick stifled a yawn as he tried to finish the report he was working on.

"Not getting much sleep?" Hank asked, his tone a touch sarcastic. Nick glanced up and took a long look at his partner. While Hank had not been openly hostile to Nick about everything that had happened, everyday that passed seemed to bring another biting remark from his partner about the current state of things.

"No," Nick responded, his own tone clipped, "that tends to happen when people are trying to kill you."

"And when you have a witch sleeping in your house," Hank replied with a caustic grin.

Nick sighed and rubbed his hand across his face before looking at his partner again.

"She's not a witch anymore," Nick said. When Hank acknowledged the comment with only a raised brow, Nick continued, "look, I know that all of this is hard to accept, but she is sorry for what happened. Which is more than I can say about that guy in there."

They both looked towards the Captain's office. They had made the decision to not to let on to the Captain that Hank knew about Nick so as not to further strain their relationship. Renard had been generally steering clear of Nick since their confrontation at the warehouse, and Nick was keeping his distance, as well. No need to poke that particular bear until there was a reason to….

Nick looked down at his phone as it buzzed on his desk.

"Speak of the devil…." Hank muttered as Nick picked up the phone.

"Adalind, everything okay?" Nick said in greeting, ignoring his partner's rolling eyes.

"I'm fine," Adalind answered, but he could hear tension in her voice, "But I just got some information that I think you need to see right away. I'm outside your precinct if you want to meet somewhere."

"Come on up," Nick said, answering Hank's incredulous look with a challenging look of his own.

"Are you sure about that?" He could tell Adalind was hesitant, but the sooner Hank got used to the idea of her as an ally, the better.

"Yeah, we're all on the same side now," Nick replied with a pointed look at Hank before disconnecting the call. He tipped back in his chair and levelled a stare at his partner.

"So, what's it going to be Hank?," Nick asked, "If you don't want to be part of this, I understand. But if you do, you're going to have to accept certain things, and right now, the thing you will have to accept is Adalind. I know it's a bad position to put you in after everything that happened, but I'm asking you to trust me."

Hank looked at him for a long moment, then sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"This is just so weird, man," Hank replied, "but you're my partner, and I trust you with my life….and you have apparently saved my life, so let's just do this."

Nick nodded and they stood up, walking to the elevator and arriving just as it opened, revealing Adalind, anxiously clutching her bag to her side. Her eyes immediately went to Hank, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Nick held up his hand before she get any words out.

"Let's go somewhere a little more private before we start talking," Nick waved his hand towards a conference room across the hall and they made their way there. As soon as Nick shut the door behind them, words started to tumble from Adalind's mouth.

"Hank, you have to know that I'm so sorry about what happened," Adalind started, her anxiety obvious as she addressed his partner. Nick leaned back against the door, allowing her to make her apologies without interruption, "I wish I could say that I wasn't myself, but I suppose I was the self I was at the time, but now…..I'm a different self, I guess you could say, and I hope that I can make it up to you…."

Her words trailed off as Hank held up his hand, closing his eyes slightly.

"Adalind, please," Hank responded, his voice strained, "I know that you're….different now, but I can't just forget everything that happened. We'll just take this day by day, okay?"

"Okay," Adalind responded uneasily, she turned to Nick and he offered her a reassuring smile, which she returned, her mouth tilting slightly as she looked at him. Suddenly remembering what had brought her there, she pulled a file from her bag.

"I received a call from one of my old contacts this morning regarding your parent's death," Adalind started, pulling pictures from a file and handing Nick one of them, "This is Akira Kimura. He works for Dragon's Tongue, which is the Japanese version of the Verrat. He has been searching for the Coins of Zakynthos for years."

"My mother was entrusted with those coins," Nick said by way of explanation to Hank, "It's believed that she, and my father, were killed in an attempt to acquire them."

"Kimura is believed to be part of the plot to kill your mother," Adalind continued.

"Along with the three others that came to Portland a few months ago when the coins turned up here," Nick responded and Adalind nodded.

"Exactly, and I would venture as far as to say that he was likely the mastermind." Adalind pulled out a few more pictures, showing candid shots of Nick, Hank, Renard and Monroe, "He's been having you, and your closest associates, watched. He must believe that you, or one of your friends, have the coins. My informant tells me that he is on his way here. For all we know, he's already here."

"Are these the same coins that we dealt with a few months ago?" Hank asked, and Nick nodded, "I thought that Farley Kolt took the coins when he left? Or did he leave them with you?"

"Let's just say that I persuaded him that the best course of action was for him to leave the coins in my care," Nicks replied, "the coins don't seem to affect Grimms like they do others."

"And how do they affect people?" Hank asked hesitantly.

"They give you a rush of power," Nick replied, "as well as giving the holder some kind of charismatic hold over men. You held them for a short time, but even you became obsessed with them."

Hank nodded, remembering, "I remember that now. Seems I have had all kinds of run ins with supernatural forces."

Adalind shifted uncomfortably, and Nick continued, "the coins are in a safe place, but this Kimura is coming to find them. We all need to be on alert for his arrival. He won't be coming just for me, but for anyone that I may have trusted to hide the coins. And obviously he is willing to kill for them."

They were all quiet for a moment as they looked at the photos.

"I'm sorry I involved you in this," Nick said to Hank.

"I'm just glad to know what's going on with you," Hank replied, "I was starting to worry. At least now I know what I need to worry about."

%%%%%

Adalind watched the interaction between the two men and hated herself a little more for what she had done to both of them. Sighing quietly as they spoke, she collected the photos that she had brought and put them back in the folder, holding them out to Nick.

"I should get back to work," Adalind said in a low voice. She needed some air, and to be away from the pressing guilt that was threatening to engulf her.

Nick took the folder from her and she felt his gaze sweep her face.

"I'll walk you out," Nick held the door open for her and she walked into the busy hallway.

"It's okay," Adalind replied, "I know how busy you are."

"After bringing me this," he held up the folder, "the least I can do is buy you lunch. You want to join us, Hank?"

"I think I'll pass," Hank replied, but there was no anger in his voice, "this time."

Adalind gave him a small smile as he walked back to his desk, then she followed Nick to the elevator.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Nick said as the door closed and Adalind gave a snort of derision.

"Oh, sure," Adalind replied, "it didn't at all make me want to take a flying leap out of the closest window."

NIck started to laugh, but she threw him a look that indicated that she wasn't kidding, and he stopped abruptly.

"But it's over now," Nick replied, picking up her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze, "so at least you have that going for you."

Adalind snorted again, then changed the subject, "I think Sean is spreading it around that I'm not a hexenbiest anymore."

At Nick's questioning look, she continued, "My contact knew that I wasn't a hexenbiest anymore, and I don't know who else he would have heard it from."

"Want me to talk to Renard?" Nick asked.

Adalind shook her head, "No, it was bound to get out at some point. Let him have this petty revenge. I've done enough damage to his pride already."

They walked quickly to the deli across the street from the precinct and took a table in the corner of the bustling restaurant.

"I was planning on telling you today that I thought the need for your protection had passed and that I was going to move back home," Adalind said after they had settled into their table. She passed him the photo of the two of them at dinner, "But then I saw that."

Nick looked at the picture, and she saw his face cloud with anger.

"Why didn't you show me this when we were with Hank," he asked.

"I didn't want Hank to think I was manipulating you," Adalind said quietly, avoiding his gaze, "I don't want you to think that, either."

"Adalind," his voice was soft as he looked at her, taking her hand in his own, "I told you I would protect you, and I meant that."

"I know you did," Adalind said, "but when will it end? At some point I'll need to figure out how to be on my own. I can't depend on you indefinitely."

Nick held her gaze for a long moment, then he released a sigh of frustration and said, "I know you can't, but ever since whatever happened…..happened, my need to protect you has been a bit, well, overwhelming."

He seemed almost embarrassed to admit it, but she had to admit that she had felt it, too, especially when he had been facing the reapers. She had been terrified that something would happen to him.

"Maybe it's because of what Henrietta told me," Adalind replied, her hand still wrapped tightly in his, "about us being blood bound now. Maybe a part of you will always be with me, and we'll always be connected, whether we like it or not."

"I don't really have any complaints," Nick said, grinning as he added, "If I remember correctly, you haven't had reason to complain, either."

"No, I don't have any complaints," Adalind said with a placating smile, "but you have to admit that things have been moving a bit fast."

"Purely circumstantial," Nick said with a shrug, "If people weren't trying to kill us all the time, I would be more than happy to pick you up at your place and take you out on a date."

"Really?" Adalind didn't bother hiding her surprise at not only the admission, but at the ease with which he admitted it, "you would ask me out? On a date? Like real people?"

He furrowed her brow at her, "We are real people, Adalind. I like you, and I assume you like me. I'm attracted to you, and, again, I assume you are attracted to me. Why wouldn't we date like normal human beings?"

"Because we aren't normal!" Adalind almost shouted, then dropped her voice as she noticed people turn in their direction, "not to mention that not that long ago, you were proposing marriage to another woman."

"Ahhhh," Nick sat back in his chair, and smiled in understanding, "so that's what this is about. You think I'm not over Juliette."

"How could you be?" Adalind replied, trying to keep her emotions in check, "You were in love with her. You lived together for two years. You were going to marry her, for God's sake!"

"I can't deny anything you've said," Nick replied evenly, "and I honestly don't know what would have happened with Juliette if you and I hadn't crossed paths after I took your powers that night, but what I do know is that there was never a part of me that thought about telling her the truth. Never thought about sharing the burden with her. She didn't know who I was anymore, and I didn't want her to. The man that she loved, and that loved her, just doesn't exist anymore. That part of my life seems so far away now, so distant. A not unpleasant memory of a simpler time. Nothing more, nothing less."

Adalind regarded him for a moment, then replied, "that's it?"

"That's it," he said with a shrug, then gave her a self deprecating smile, "I'm not an overly complicated man, Adalind."

Adalind snorted a laugh, "Said the Grimm to the former hexenbiest."

"That's your problem," Nick said, leaning forward, "you keep thinking of yourself in terms of being a 'former hexenbiest.' You're so much more than that."

"Am I?" Adalind started to feel unsure again, "I feel like I don't know who I am anymore, Nick. I don't know who it is I see in the mirror every morning."

"Would it help if I told you what I see?" Nick asked quietly, his unwavering stare intense.

Adalind felt her breath catch, and her answer came out in a whisper, "Yes."

"I see a woman who has made a lot of mistakes," Adalind winced and tried to pull her hand away, but he held tight and gave her a reassuring smile, "I see a woman who has made mistakes, but is trying her damndest to make up for those mistakes. I see a woman who has helped people she barely knows just because it was the right thing to do. And I see a woman who has helped me understand more about this world and my place in it."

Adalind turned away so he wouldn't see the tears that were threatening, and he continued, "I also see someone who is afraid to be vulnerable, but also longs to have people that care about her."

Adalind took a deep breath and waited for her emotions to settle slightly before returning her eyes to his. She was afraid that she would see pity in them, but the only thing she saw was concern.

"I'm trying to be that person," Adalind answered with a sigh, "I'm just scared sometimes."

"Of what," Nick asked.

"Of the other shoe dropping," Adalind said with a sad smile, "It seems too much to expect that I can do all the things I've done and just walk away with no consequences."

"You were a powerful witch, and you lost that," Nick replied matter of factly, "I wouldn't say that you got away without consequences."

"I suppose that's true," Adalind replied, and then felt a shiver down her spine, "I just can't help but thinking that the universe isn't quite done punishing me yet."

%%%%%

Nick jogged across the street and back to the precinct after safely seeing Adalind into a cab. He had felt bad packing her off back to work, knowing how vulnerable she was feeling, but he couldn't ignore the potential killer that was coming to Portland. Especially now that he knew that his friends were being watched, too. And the captain. He sighed tiredly as he acknowledged to himself that he would have to talk to Renard about what was going on with Kimura.

He sat down heavily in his chair and Hank looked up at him, eyebrows raised.

"Have a good lunch?" Hank asked and Nick was pleasantly surprised not to find any of the sarcasm he had come to expect from his partner over the last week.

"Yeah," Nick answered, not feeling the need to elaborate, then nodded his head towards the file that Hank was holding, "what have you got there?"

"Just gathering some information on this Akira Kimura," Hank responded, sliding the file over to Nick, who started thumbing through the information, "I was able to get a hold of his Interpol file. Seems our guy is very interested in coin collecting. He was arrested for beating a coin dealer in Hamburg, Germany who was believed to be in possession of these...magic coins, or whatever you call them."

Nick stood and gathered up the information and looked over his shoulder at Renard's office. Unfortunately, the captain was in, so Nick had no excuse to not update him on the recent events involving the coins, mainly because Renard was apparently one of the targets of this possible assassin.

Nick walked to the door and wrapped lightly, waiting to hear Renard bark out "Enter," before opening the door.

"Hey, Captain," Nick said, straining to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

Renard looked up at him interest, a small smile on his mouth, "I'm glad that you've decided it's better to work together than apart."

Nick frowned, "I wouldn't go that far, but in this particular case, you're already involved, and you may be in danger."

He put the photos Adalind had brought on Renard's desk, and he saw the captain's face darken.

"What is this?" Renard demanded.

"Apparently, someone is looking for the Coins of Zakynthos, and he's tracked them here," Nick responded evenly, then pointed to the photo of Kimura, "this man is an agent of Dragon's Tongue. I'm assuming you know who they are?"

Renard nodded, "and this Kimura has been watching us?"

"That's what I have been told," Nick responded, gathering up the photos, "they know we had the coins, and I imagine the trail went cold once they reached Portland."

"Do you have the coins?" Renard was watching him closely, and Nick was unsure how much to share with him.

"They're in a safe place," Nick replied cryptically, "I just wanted you to know to watch your back. This guy may come looking for you if he thinks that you have the coins."

"I'll let you know if I have any contact with him," Renard responded, and then looked at him expectantly, "I assume you'll do the same."

Nick regarded him for a moment, then gave him a short nod before walking out of the office.

"How'd that go," Hank asked with interest when Nick reached his desk.

"As well as can be expected at this point," Nick answered, settling into his chair."

"Well, don't get too comfortable," Hanks said, standing up, "we got a body."

%%%%%

Adalind had just settled back into work when the managing partner at her firm, Harrison Berman, walked into her office, closing the door behind him.

With a sense of foreboding, Adalind masked her unease with a warm smile as he sat down across from her.

"Adalind, how are you?" Harrison's voice was full of concern, but Adalind was still wary.

"I've been fine, thank you," Adalind answered with a confidence she didn't quite feel, then gestured to the files on her desk, "been as busy as ever."

Berman flicked a glance at her desk, before meeting her gaze once more, "Yes, I can see that. The trouble is….well, I'm not sure how to put this, but there is a nasty rumor going around that you're no longer….yourself."

Adalind had known that this confrontation was going to happen at some point, but she still felt her stomach flip as he said the words.

"I won't lie, Harrison," Adalind answered, keeping her tone level, "I'm no longer a hexenbiest. But I'm still a fantastic lawyer, and you know that's a fact."

"Of course, my dear, you are a brilliant lawyer," Harrison replied, again the picture of concern, "but you know we cater mainly to the wesen community, and you know how people can be. They expect a certain level of ruthlessness that I'm not sure you can now provide."

"So, what are you saying, Harrison?" Adalind's anger was starting to rise and she fought to tamp it down, "I'm fired?"

"Let's not make this something ugly, Adalind," Harrison replied, his smile faltering, "You know I will give you the best of references. And I have already made a list of firms that I know are looking, and where you would be happy now that you aren't…." He trailed off and cleared his throat, sliding a typed list to her that contained a number of local law firms.

"Of course, we will expect you to wrap up the cases that you can," Harrison stood and started walking to the door, "and you can pass any that you can't complete to Lane. He has already been told of the change in circumstances and will meet with you as soon as possible."

"Of course, I'll do whatever I can to make the transition as easy as possible," Adalind was nothing if not professional, but she felt a sting in the back of her throat as she said the words.

"I knew you would understand," Harrison said, his smile returning as he opened her office door, "Speak with Lane about the timeline for the transition, and then we can fix a date for your last day."

Without waiting for a response, Harrison walked out of her office, leaving Adalind a bit dazed as she stared after him. She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, but the sound of her phone pulled her back to the present, and she picked it up.

"Yes?" Her voice sounded strange, even to her own ear.

"Adalind? Are you okay?" Nick's voice was concerned. It wasn't the condescending concern that Harrison Berman had for her, but real concern, and she felt a bit better with the knowledge.

"Yeah, I mean not really, but it's just work stuff," Adalind stalled, not wanting to lose her composure while still in her office, "we can talk about it later."

"Are you sure?," Nick asked.

Yeah, it's fine," Adalind pinched the bridge of her nose, and asked, "What did you need?"

"Hank and I got called out to a homicide," Nick explained, "So I never got a chance to warn Monroe and Rosalee about Kimura. I was hoping you could let them know? I can meet with you all later, but I wanted to let them know as soon as possible."

"Sure," Adalind replied, thankful to be able to concentrate on something besides work, "I'll head over to the shop in few minutes. Did you talk to Sean?"

"Unfortunately, I did," Nick replied, and she smiled at the sarcasm in his voice.

"Be careful out there," Adalind replied.

"You, too," his voice had the concerned tone to it again, and it warmed her to her toes as she disconnected the call. It was amazing that such a simple thing, like a conversation, could help make her feel a little less off balance.

Since she wasn't overly concerned with her job anymore, she shot off a quick email to Lane, telling him they could meet tomorrow, and packed up her bag. It would be nice to talk with Rosalee, too, after everything that had happened that day.

%%%%%

"Well, this one is a bit...unpleasant," Wu greeted them as they arrived on the scene.

"That's what you like to hear," Nick replied as they made their way into the hotel room.

"The man has been identified as Nathaniel Adams," Wu filled them in, "he was a private investigator from New York. My guess would be that he crossed the wrong person during the course of his investigation." Wu indicated a pile of surveillance equipment that had been gathered from the man's room and vehicle.,"

Nick's ears had perked up at the mention of a PI so close on the heels of Adalind's information. It was likely a coincidence, but Nick didn't believe much in coincidences anymore. He glanced in Hank's direction, and his partner gave him a nod and a raised eyebrow, indicating that Hank, too, was not a big believer in coincidence.

"Pull all the memory cards from the equipment and send what you find on them to us," Hank said to Wu before turning to the body, "Looks like this guy got taken out by a weed whacker."

"Or a hatchet," Nick responded, "either way, not a great way to go."

Nick and Hank worked the scene, and then returned to the precinct, where the evidence from the cameras were waiting for them, along with Wu.

"Anything you guys want to share with me," Wu asked, "Because it seems like this guy was really interested in the two of you, and even the captain. But especially you, Nick"

Wu dropped a stack of photos, similar to the ones that Nick and Hank had seen earlier with Adalind. The top picture showed Nick and Adalind standing outside a restaurant, his arm holding her snugly to his side.

"Did Juliette have this guy following you because you were….." Wu waved his hand in the general direction of the photos, "canoodling with another woman?"

"Canoodling?" Nick couldn't help but laugh, "No, I don't think so. And since you seem to be questioning my integrity, it's important that you know that Juliette and I broke up. This whole thing is unrelated."

"How do you know?" Wu asked, still suspicious, "she may have hard feelings, considering it seems you've already moved on."

"Just call it my gut instinct," Nick said with a sigh, then continued, "we need to warn the Captain, maybe get some uniforms to watch his house, as well as mine and Hank's."

"Any idea who this might be?" Wu asked.

Nick exchanged a glance with Hank, "Ya, I think we have an idea."

%%%%%

It was several hours before Nick found his way back home. After he had given Wu a selective, non-wesen history of the coins and the likelihood that the man looking for them was either in Portland, or headed there way, they had received a disturbing call from Renard that confirmed all of their suspicion.

According to the captain, his housekeeper had been murdered and his house ransacked. The only thing that kept Kimura from killing Renard had been the lucky arrival of Wu on the scene. Things were escalating quickly, and Nick was anxious to be sure that Adalind, as well as Monroe and Rosalee, were safe.

He heard voices as he walked in the door, and was happy to to note that they were laughing, not screaming, so things couldn't be too bad. He followed the voices into his dining room, finding Monroe, Rosalee and Adalind, as well as several empty bottles of wine.

"Everything okay here?" Nick asked, amused. Monroe met his eye, and the other man stood and walked hurriedly to Nick's side.

"They're playing a rather...intense game of 'would you rather," Monroe explained, "the wesen version. Much more disgusting than the human version. They've been at the bottle awhile, too."

"Would you rather…...a Hasenfussige Schnecke or a Lebensauger," Adalind asked, barely able to suppress a laugh as Rosalee pulled a disgusted face.

"That's not even fair! A blobfish or a leech?!" Rosalee shook her head, "I can't even…."

"You know the rules, then," Adalind replied, picking up the bottle and nearly knocking over her own glass, "if you don't pick, you have to drink."

Nick took the bottle from her hands and set it down.

"I think the two of you have had enough to drink," Nick put the bottle on the counter, and out of reach.

"Buzzkill," Adalind murmured, and Nick gave her a look.

"That's Detective Buzzkill to you," he replied with a tight smile.

"Oh really," Adalind's eyes flashed at him, her voice suddenly deeper "are you going to arrest me….Detective?"

"And that's our cue to go," Monroe said quickly, gathering up Rosalee and heading towards the door, "good luck, dude!"

As the door closed behind them, he turned back to Adalind with a bemused look.

"So," he asked, "just how drunk are you?"

"Drunk enough to no longer care that I was fired today," Adalind replied, "so, I guess the perfect amount of drunk."

"You got fired?" he asked, unable to hide his surprise.

"Yup," Adalind said pouring herself another glass of wine, the liquid splashing on the counter as she tried to maintain her balance, "but that's okay, I have options."

"I'm have no doubt you do," Nick replied, taking the bottle and the glass from her hands and setting them back down, "are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," Adalind replied, her smile overly bright, "I mean, in the grand scheme of things, it's not really the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It's not even the worst thing that happened to me today."

At his questioning look, she continued, "the threat of death at the hand's of a Dragon's Tongue assassin."

"Ahhh, that," Nick replied, steering her to the couch, "well, not to be the bearer of more bad news, but it seems Kimura is here. He's already attacked Renard."

"That's the best news I've had all day!" Adalind said with a genuine grin.

"Not that you asked, but he's okay," Nick said sarcastically, and Adalind shrugged.

"I figured, guys like that have a way of surviving anything…kinda like a cockroach."

"We need to be careful," Nick said, sitting next to her on the couch.

Adalind looked at him for a beat, and then slid closer to him. She turned slightly and threw a leg over his lap and straddling him. Instinctively, his arms went around her and she smiled sweetly.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe," Adalind whispered in his ear before running her tongue gently along the curve of his ear, then blowing lightly.

"I don't think there's anything safe about us," Nick responded, his grip on her hips tightening before grazing down to her skirt and hitching it up higher, allowing her legs to fall wider across his lap.

"God, Nick, why do I want you so bad," Adalind asked, her voice taking on an almost painful tone.

"Probably the wine," Nick replied softly, moving his hands up her thighs before gently moving aside the scrap of black silk, parting her slightly, causing her to moan in response.

"Don't sell yourself short," her words were breathy and he smiled, shifting his hand slightly, touching her in the way he had learned she liked best. He was rewarded with hearing his name fall from her lips in a sigh, her head dropping back and exposing her neck to his wandering mouth.

She lifted away from him slightly, making room for her hand to drift between them, unzipping and releasing him to her warm caress. His other hand took hold of her head and brought her mouth to his as she began a slow, teasing descent back down on to his lap. He pulled away just enough to watch her eyes, bright with desire. She placed her other hand on his chest, steadying herself.

"Your heart," she whispered, "it's beating so fast."

"It's very possible that you are going to give me a heart attack," he replied, the hunger in his eyes betraying the playfulness of his tone. As she completed her descent, he closed his eyes, a soft moan escaping him, "but what a way to go."


	13. Chapter 13

To make up for being late last week, I am posting this slightly early this week ;)

A HUGE thank you for the review, follows, favorites - I say it every time, but it really does inspire me to keep writing and sharing this story with all of you!

A few people have mentioned the desire for Juliette to make an appearance, so those people will (probably?) be happy with this chapter. If you aren't a fan of the character, believe me, I understand...I just feel there was still some story left for her. We'll see where it goes ;)

This follows "Woman in Black" (01x22) and "Bad Teeth" (02x01) in terms of timeline and a small amount of the dialogue.

 **CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Catherine Schade walked into the Roseway Veterinary Clinic, clutching a Himalayan cat tightly to her. The car purred contentedly in her arms, the effects of the potion that she had given to the stray making her complaint to the hexenbiest's telepathic commands.

"Hello," Catherine said to the young girl behind the desk, giving her a warm smile, "I have an appointment with Dr. Silverton for my cat, Majique. I'm was so happy to find that your clinic has later hours today."

"I'll let her know you're here," the girl said with an answering smile, "please have a seat and we'll call you back in just a moment."

Catherine took a seat, stroking the cat gently as she considered her plan. Once the cat had infected the Grimm's girlfriend, then she would need only ensure that the Juliette Silverton took care of her ungrateful daughter and then Catherine could be on her way, perhaps to Vienna…..she was sure that Sean's half brother would be happy to hear what his bastard brother had been up to in Portland.

"Ms. Schade? We're ready for you now," the girl called her back and led her to a an exam room where a smiling young woman was waiting for them.

"Hello, there," the woman said, "I'm Dr. Silverton. I hear your cat hasn't been feeling well?"

"My poor Majique is just not herself," Catherine explained, taking on a concerned expression as she stroked the cat, "she's sluggish and won't eat."

Catherine watched as Juliette examined the cat, then asked, "Do you think it's serious?"

"Well, I hope not, but I'm probably going to want to keep her overnight to run some tests," Juliette replied, still looking the cat over.

"Thank you so much," Catherine said, then added with a smile, "my daughter told me that you would be a good person to take care of my sweet cat."

"Oh, does your daughter come to our clinic?" Juliette asked, looking up at her.

"Well, no, actually, I think you have only met her once or twice, to be honest," Catherine answered, "I believe you know the man she was most recently dating? Hank, I believe was his name? My daughter is Adalind Schade."

"Oh, Adalind, of course," Juliette responded, and Catherine noticed a flash of pain across the young woman's face before she masked it with a smile, "Hank is a great guy. Adalind couldn't do better."

"Well, I'm sure that's true, but they split up a couple weeks ago," Catherine said casually, watching Juliette carefully, "I'm not really sure what happened, but it seemed quite sudden."

"I didn't know that," Juliette answered quietly, and Catherine could almost see the wheels turning in Juliette's head as she processed the information.

"I don't know what gets into that girl," Catherine said, inflecting her voice with amused frustration, "She had been so secretive over the last couple weeks, hasn't been sleeping at home….although she has seemed happy." Catherine gave a dismissive shrug.

"I'm glad to hear it," Juliette replied with a tight smile, picking up the cat. Catherine gave the cat a silent command, and the cat let out an angry mewl, scratching Juliette on the arm.

"Ow!" Juliette cried, putting the cat back on the table.

"I'm so sorry," Catherine cried, "are you okay?"

"Of course," Juliette said with a shake of her head, "it's an occupational hazard."

"I'm sure she didn't mean it," Catherine said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "She's a good kitty, aren't you Majique?"

%%%%%

"I'm starving," Adalind admitted to Nick as they lay in a tangle of arms and legs on the couch.

"Not too surprising," Nick replied, brushing a stray lock of blonde hair from her forehead, "you've had quite a workout. That, and I am guessing that you drank your dinner?"

"Maybe," Adalind replied noncommittally as she pressed a hand to his chest, using him as leverage to push herself up from his lap.

"Pizza?" He looked up at her hopefully.

"I could cook for you," Adalind replied absently, looking around for her discarded shirt. Finding it, she slipped it on before realizing that her bra was missing, too. Giving up she sat next to him on the couch.

"Let's go out," Nick said getting up, and righting his clothes, "I feel like we're sitting ducks just hanging out here, waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Okay, but I need to change first," Adalind replied, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her up. She was halfway up the stairs before she looked back down at him, "maybe I should shower first?"

He met her eyes for a moment, before letting them sweep up and down the length of her body, "maybe you should…"

"Maybe you should, too," Adalind tilted her head and gazed at him with mock severity, "you're absolutely filthy."

She started walking up the stairs again, throwing a smile back over her shoulder as she went. Nick hopped up, taking the stairs two at a time, catching up with her at the top and grabbing her by the waist from behind.

"Let's see how dirty you really are," Nick growled in her ear, and he heard her sigh as he lightly bit the back of her neck, her body arching back into his. All thought of dinner fled from his head as he felt her backside press snugly against him.

"I'm still starving," Adalind's voice was deep with desire, and he pulled her more firmly into him.

"For what," he asked, "tell me what it is you want, Adalind."

"I think you know," she answered, and he could hear the frustration in her voice as he chuckled lightly in her ear.

"I like hearing you say it," Nick whispered, brushing her hair up and away from her neck to give him better access, "I like the way my name sounds on your lips when you're reaching for your release. Tell me you want me, Adalind. As much as I want you."

"Nick," her voice was almost pained and Nick felt as if his whole body hardened at the sound of his name. He bit down softly on the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, and he felt her whole body shudder against his. Galvanized into action, Nick lifted her easily and carried her into the bathroom and turned on the shower. While the water warmed, he quickly undressed them both, taking her mouth with his when his task was completed. Breaking the kiss, he stepped into the shower, holding out his hand for her to join him. Without hesitation, she put her hand in his and was drawn into the small space with him.

Nick positioned them so that the warm water would fall on them both, and then reached for the soap, lathering it in his hands before massaging it gently over her shoulders and down her back. She stepped in closer to him, and sighed as he continued to move his soapy, slippery hands down her body.

And then he heard breaking glass. Adalind stiffened in his arms, having heard it, too. Their eyes met for a moment, and in the next second he had jumped out of the shower and was throwing on his discarded jeans, hastily zipping them before tugging on a t-shirt. He turned and looked at Adalind, who was still standing naked in the shower, wide-eyed in shock.

"Stay here," his voice commanded, and she nodded numbly as he grabbed his gun and quickly walked out of the room.

%%%%%

Adalind stood frozen for another moment, then moved quickly out of the shower, pulling on her underwear before grabbing one of Nick's t-shirts and pulling it over her head. She picked up her phone and hesitated only a moment before hitting Hank's number in her contacts.

"Adalind?" the voice on the other end greeted her in disbelief, but there was no time for pleasantries.

"Hank, someone broke into Nick's house," Adalind said in a low voice, "get here as quick as you can."

"On my way," Hank replied and the line went dead. Tossing her phone on the bed, she heard the sounds of fighting below her, her panic ratcheting up a notch. She knew she was virtually useless in a fight with someone who was, she assumed, a trained agent of Dragon's Tongue, but she refused to be helpless. She looked around the room, wondering if Nick kept another gun, and if he did, where it was. She yanked open the nightstand next to his side of the bed and was rewarded with a small hunting knife. Not as useful as a gun, but she did know the basics of throwing a knife, although if she was being honest, it was mostly telekinetically.

Adalind moved slowly down the stairs, peeking around the corner as the sounds of the violent fight grew louder, not to mention closer. She saw the familiar face of Kimura, and sucked in a breath as he punched Nick, sending him to the ground. Then he woged and smiled in satisfaction.

"You are the Grimm," Kimura said triumphantly, "You have the coins. Give them to me."

"I'll give you this," Nick replied, and Adalind watched as the two continued to trade blows. Kimura fell backwards and Nick pounced, holding the other man down.

"You killed my parents!" he raged, and Adalind could almost physically feel the anger that was rolling off of Nick's body as he pounded Kimura in the face, "Why did you kill them?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Adalind saw another figure in the shadow, moving stealthily towards the two fighting men, both of them seemingly unaware of the person's presence.

"Nick," Adalind shouted, "there's another one."

Nick looked up at the sound of her voice, just in time to launch himself at the other intruder. Adalind looked to Kimura, noticing that he was having trouble getting up. Not wanting to give him the chance to attack Nick again, Adalind hurled the knife at him, hitting his upper thigh. Kimura gripped his leg in pain and yanked the knife out before setting his sights on Adalind. She stole a look over at Nick, who was trying to fight over the other intruder with less success. The intruder finally managed to kick Nick away, before turning to Kimura and delivering a knockout blow. As Kimura fell motionless to the floor, the other intruder pulled out a syringe and injected Kimura with something. Adalind's brow furrowed in confusion as the other intruder then turned back to Nick, who was wiping blood from his lip, his eyes glistening with rage as he started to move slowly toward the mysterious figure in black.

"Nick," the intruder pulled off her hood, revealing a middle aged woman, with dark, curly hair. She held up a hand to him, holding him off, and he stood for a moment confused, as if trying to place how he knew her, "Nicky, it's me."

Adalind watched as Nick's expression changed from rage to disbelief, "Mom?"

%%%%%

Juliette felt a rage building inside her like nothing she had ever felt before. She felt reckless and out of control, and she didn't know why. All she knew was that she was angry…..she was angry with Nick for lying to her, angry with Adalind for manipulating her way into their home. Angry.

She looked down at the bandage on her arm, the cat scratch still stinging. If Adalind's mother hadn't come to the clinic, she would have still been playing the idiot, never realizing that the two of them were making a fool of her. Something hot and pulsing seemed to be moving through her body, and while she couldn't explain it, she didn't question it, either.

It was time she set things right. She couldn't let them get away with this.

It was as if something altogether otherworldly had entered her body….

%%%%%

"How?" Nick was struck dumb, his eyes not leaving the woman in front of him.

"I have to take care of him first," she answered him, turning away and starting to walk back towards Kimura, "He is one of the men that killed your father. With what I put in him, he won't be out that long."

Nick watched as his mother crouched next to Kimura and flipped him over.

"We have to make sure that he was sent by the Dragon's Tongue," she said, nodding as she revealed the tattoos on his back, which seemed to resemble the Coins of Zacynthos. She turned and looked at Nick once more, "you could see him for what he is?"

"Yes," Nick answered, knowing what she was asking. They looked at each other for a beat, and Nick was unsure what to say.

"I called Hank," a quiet voice said from the stairs, and Nick turned to see Adalind standing on the landing. She still had a shocked look on her face, her damp hair clinging to her face and neck reminding him what they had been doing the moment before Kimura had broken into his home.

"Adalind," he made his way up the stairs to where she was standing and put a hand on her cheek, lightly turning her face to meet his eyes, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Adalind said, looking at him, "are _**you**_?"

"Pretty far from it, actually," Nick replied, looking down at the other woman in the room and then looked back at Adalind, "is that my knife I saw in Kimura's leg?"

"Yeah, well, I thought I should do something while you were fighting off two intruders," Adalind said with a shrug, "and I'm pretty good with a knife."

"I can see that," he said, admiration evident in his voice, "I need to stop underestimating you."

"I keep trying to tell you," Adalind said, relaxing slightly as he pulled her into a light hug.

The door suddenly opened as Hank came running into the room, gun drawn. As he took in the relaxed stance of the occupants, he slowly lowered his weapon, his eyes finding Nick's.

"Everything good here?," Hank asked, his eyes flicking to the body on the ground, "Kimura?"

"That's him," Nick replied, releasing Adalind and walking down the stairs to stand with Hank, "he broke in and we were able to subdue him. Apparently it took all three of us."

"Three?" Hank asked, looking to the other woman in the room.

"I'm not really sure how to explain this other than just to say…..this is my mom," Nick said, the words still unreal to his own ears, "mom, this is my partner, Hank. You can speak freely in front of him, he knows everything."

"Your what?" Hank looked from Nick to his mom and back again, "I thought she was dead?!"

"So did I," Nick replied, "until about five minutes ago. Still processing."

"I would think so," Hank said with no small amount of disbelief.

"And up there is Adalind," Nick pointed in the direction of where she was standing, "she also knows everything, so no worries."

"It's very nice to meet all of you," Nick's mother replied, although her brusk manner seemed to indicate otherwise, "And under any other circumstances, I would be more than happy to meet my son's partner and girlfriend, but right now, we need to figure out what to do with this guy."

"Oh, I'm not his girlfriend," Adalind said quickly, embarrassment flooding her face as she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears, "I mean, we haven't really defined what we are, so while I would say that we definitely like each other, we don't need to really label anything yet and…."

Nick tried not to smile as Adalind tried to backpedal from what his mother said.

"Adalind, you're standing in my son's home, you're both wet and half dressed, you're wearing his shirt…." Kelly looked at her incredulously, "you may not have labeled it, but I have, so let's move on."

Adalind snapped her mouth closed and looked apologetically at Nick, but he just smiled and shrugged.

"The officer who was watching your house is down," Hank said, breaking the tension, "He's just knocked out, but we're going to have to call it in."

"Go ahead," Nick nodded, "everyone knew he was coming after us, so what happened here shouldn't seem too odd."

"Except for that whole mother coming back from the dead thing," Adalind said.

"Maybe we'll just leave that part out," Nick replied with amused disbelief.

Hank moved into the dining room to make the call into the precinct and Adalind came down the stairs, looking him over, her finger tracing a bruise that was already blooming under his eye.

"I think you should call Sean," Adalind ventured quietly, "I mean, you know how I feel about him, but he would know how to handle it. I can call him, if you like?"

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "you're right. He knows what's going on with the coins and Kimura, and I did tell him I would keep him in the loop. He would hear about it soon enough with Hank calling it in."

Adalind nodded and she headed up stairs to get her phone. Nick hesitantly turned back to his mother.

"You didn't want to kill Kimura," Nick looked at the woman who had abandoned him twenty years ago, "why?"

"He's the last man alive who knows who betrayed us," Kelly answered, then tilted her head, "why didn't you kill him?"

"I wanted to find out why he killed my parents," Nick said, anger leeching into his voice, "so what, is my dad going to come back from the dead now, too?"

"No, he was killed in the crash," Kelly replied, "which I guess you know wasn't an accident."

"The police thought it was you that died in that crash," Nick tried to keep his temper in check so he could get the answers he needed, "who died in your place?"

"My friend, Gina Serafini," Kelly replied sadly, "on the night they came for me, I didn't have much time. I arranged for your Aunt Marie to pick you up, and I sent your father and Gina, who had been staying with us, away. I thought whoever was after me wouldn't follow them, but they did."

"Why weren't the bodies identified with dental records?," As long as he was questioning her, he wouldn't have to deal with the reality of what happened.

"They thought they killed a Grimm," Kelly answered slowly, "they took Gina's head. And the bodies were so badly burned that there was nothing else left to identify."

"So you just let me think you were dead?" Nick felt the familiar feeling of grief start to choke him, and he turned away from her, not really caring if she answered him.

"I have a lot of enemies, Nick," she responded, "it was the only way I could think to protect you."

"Did Aunt Marie know you were alive?" Nick asked, closing his eyes as he waited for her answer.

"Yes," the answer came out as almost a whisper, and Nick exhaled sharply, feeling as if the wind had been knocked out of him.

"It was safer for you if I was dead," Kelly's voice pleaded with him, but the pain was too fresh, and too deep, for him to offer any kind of comfort.

The blare of police sirens broke the silence, and Nick turned back to his mother.

"You need to hide until I get this cleaned up," Nick said, his voice surprisingly calm, his cop face firmly in place, "we can finish this conversation later."

Kelly nodded and slipped out of sight. Nick assumed she had plenty of experience hiding, so he had no worries about her being discovered.

A moment later, his house was flooded with cops, led by Wu, and soon joined by Captain Renard. Adalind had changed into leggings and her own shirt, and even in his emotionally complicated state, he had to admit that he had preferred her in his t-shirt and nothing else. He glanced over at her and he was relieved to see that Hank was taking the time to take her statement personally, as awkward as that must have been for the both of them.

Renard walked over to him and they stepped out of earshot of the rest of the room.

"Did you shoot him?" Renard asked, and Nick shook his head.

"No, just...tranquilized him a bit," Nick replied, "I wanted him alive so I could ask him a few questions."

"He was wounded on the leg….did you stab him?"

Nick snorted a laugh, "that was Adalind."

"Of course it was," Renard sighed heavily, "do you really think it's a good idea….you and Adalind in the same house?"

"Do you really think that's something that I am going to discuss with you?" Nick shook his head at Renard's nerve, but his captain didn't stop.

"I've known Adalind a lot longer than you, Nick," Renard replied, "I know just how manipulative she can be."

"We're done here," Nick said, walking away and turning his attention back to Hank and Adalind.

"Captain giving you a hard time," Hank asked in a low voice.

"Nothing I can't handle," Nick answered with a tired smile, then turned to Adalind, "You doing okay?"

"Sure, Hank and I were just finishing up here," Adalind replied, but he could see the tiredness creeping into her eyes. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"They'll be done soon," Nick told her before turning back to the scene.

An hour later, the only cops still in his house were Hank and Renard, who both seemed like they wanted to say something, but neither one was willing to show the other all their cards. Nick sighed, internally making the decision that things would move much smoother if they all were on the same page.

"Hank knows everything," Nick said, addressing Renard, who quirked a questioning brow at him. Nick smiled coldly, "Yes, even that you were willing to let him die just to get my key."

Renard looked at Hank, who started back cooly, then shrugged, "nothing personal."

"I don't think it gets much more personal than death," Hank said indignantly. The two men stared at each other for a moment before Renard finally took a step back, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"I'm not proud of what I did, but I don't think either one of you have any understanding of how important that key is," Renard started, before sighing and shaking his head, "I never thought Nick would let you die, Hank. I never saw what he did coming, but I know he would have given up that key before he gave up you."

"Well, well, why wasn't I invited to this little party," they all turned, various degrees of surprise on their faces as Juliette walked toward them. They had been so engrossed in their own conversations, they hadn't even noticed her come through the front door.

"Juliette," Nick's confusion was evident in his voice as he looked at her, "what're you doing here?"

"I'm here to rip that little bitch's throat out," Juliette replied, rage in her eyes as she lunged for Adalind.

%%%%%

Adalind barely had time to process that Juliette was coming towards her before Nick quickly stepped between the two women, grabbing Juliette by the shoulders to halt her progress.

"What are you talking about?" Nick was looking at Juliette in utter disbelief.

"I see you have all three of them here with you," Juliette sneered, ignoring Nick as she kept her eyes on Adalind, "Do you let them take turns?"

Adalind's opened her mouth to reply, but instead, embarrassment and shame washed over her as she realized that her most recent romantic past, with these three men, was nothing she was proud of. She snapped her mouth shut, and stayed silent.

"Where is this coming from?" Nick asked her, still eyeing her in disbelief, and Adalind had to believe that this behavior was out of character for the other woman.

"I had a visit from _**her**_ mother at the clinic," Juliette replied, finally looking away from Adalind, and meeting Nick's eye, "she brought her cat in, but she mentioned that Adalind and Hank weren't together anymore, but that Adalind wasn't sleeping at home and seemed _**very**_ happy. And since I do know where she's been sleeping, part of me started to wonder why that would maker her so happy…."

"My mom doesn't have a cat…," Adalind said in confusion, before noticing the bandage on Juliette's arm. Looking at Juliette a little more closely, she asked as calmly as she could manage, "where did you get that scratch?"

"From your mother's cat," Juliette spat out at her, and Adalind took a deep breath.

"That explains a lot," Adalind replied, looking closely at Juliettes eyes. At first glance, they seemed normal, but Adalind knew what to look for, and she could see the bright yellow specks floating in Juliette's green eyes. She glanced over at Sean, and he nodded in agreement, "Nick, Juliette is not herself."

"Yeah, I kinda picked up on that," Nick replied sarcastically as he continued to hold Juliette back.

"No, Nick," Sean cut in before Adalind could reply, "she means Juliette is literally not herself."

"Look into her eyes, Nick," Adalind said, "she was given something. Likely my mother introduced a toxin via the cat."

"I warned you that your mother wasn't going to let this go," Sean said with an air of superiority.

"Oh, shut up," Adalind replied heatedly, "none of this would have happened if you hadn't been using my mother and me for your mind-games."

"Can you guys fight about this later," Nick interrupted, "we need to get her under control."

"I don't need you to do anything except get out of my way so I can kill that little witch!" Juliette screeched, becoming more agitated by the minute.

"Do you have anymore of that tranquilizer you used on Kimura?" Sean asked, and Adalind bit her lip, realizing that Nick's mom had brought the tranquilizer that had brought Kimura down.

"I'll see if there's anymore," Adalind replied before Nick could answer, and she slipped through the kitchen and down the back stairs into the basement, where she found Kelly Burkhardt.

"Do you have any more of the tranquilizer that you used on Kimura?" Adalind asked quickly, hoping there was enough to knock Juliette out, even if only temporarily.

Kelly eyed her, "I heard you say that your mother created the potion that is affecting the woman up there. Your mother is a hexenbiest?"

"Yes," Adalind replied hurriedly, "do you have more or not?"

"Then you're a hexenbiest, too," Kelly's eyes glittered menacingly, and Adalind stifled a sigh.

"No, actually, I'm not," Adalind replied, "so please, Nick is struggling up there to control his crazy ass ex-girlfriend. Can you help, or not?"

Kelly eyed her for another moment, then handed Adalind the vial and syringe.

"You better not be playing me," the older Grimm said, but Adalind was already halfway up the stairs, and didn't bother answering.

"You're choosing that _**slut**_ over me," Adalind heard Juliette yell as she walked back into the dining room, filling the syringe with the tranquilizer as she walked closer.

"That's not what's happening here," Nick was trying to remain calm, but Adalind could see the tension and anger in his face.

"Remember, Nick," Adalind said gently, "that's not Juliette talking right now."

"Shut up, you whore!" Juliette yelled.

"That's ENOUGH!" Nick yelled, and Adalind used Juliette's momentary surprise at his outburst to jab the syringe into Juliette's neck. Seconds later, Juliette went limp in Nick's arms, and he laid her down on the couch. Adalind and Nick stood together looking down at her.

"Did you have to stab her in the neck?" Nick asked, and she wasn't sure if she heard exasperation in his voice or bemusement.

"It was the easiest target," Adalind said with a shrug, "But I suppose it wasn't necessary, strictly speaking."

"Now what?" Nick asked, his voice betraying his frustration as he ran hand through his hair.

"Now, we find the cat," Adalind answered, "and we kill my mother."


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the delay - life has been crazy these past couple weeks! I got this up as quickly as I could, so I apologize in advance for any editing mistakes :)

Thanks again and again for all the reviews, favs, and follows - they inspire me more than you know!

 **CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

"Seriously, what is it with you and killing," Nick asked, shaking his head as he looked down at her.

"It's kind of a hexenbiest thing," Adalind said, wrinkling her nose, "sex and killing, that's what we do. I guess I should work on some alternate options."

"It would be a refreshing change of pace," Nick responded with a shrug, "Just the killing part, though."

"I suppose I don't _**really**_ think we should kill my mother," Adalind said, then added, "maybe we can just de-hex her, like you did with me."

"You want me to try and get my blood in your mother," Nick asked, his face indicating how incredulous he thought the suggestion was, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"You're right," Adalind said slowly, "I don't think I could handle it if you suddenly had uncontrollable desire for my mother."

"I wonder how that would work," Nick replied, his face suddenly thoughtful, "maybe since it already happened with you, it wouldn't happen with another hexenbiest."

"I don't think I want to find out," Adalind said, then perked up, "Wait! Maybe your mom could do it!"

"I wonder how THAT would work," Nick responded with a horrified look.

"I don't want to think about it," Adalind sighed, "But we need to find her so we can find out what spell she put on Juliette."

"And if we can't find her?" Nick asked.

"Well, we can try and find the cat," Adalind answered, "then Rosalee should be able to help us run a test that would tell us what toxin was used."

"And if we can't find the cat?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Adalind said, "but first things first, we need to try and find the cat."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Nick asked.

"You up for a little B and E?" Adalind asked with a small grin, "because I am pretty sure I know where the cat is."

"I can try and track down your mother," Renard said, walking up behind them and Nick turned to look at him.

"And why would you do that?" Nick was immediately suspicious of any help from his Captain.

"Because I know her, know how her mind works," Renard answered, and Nick noticed Adalind roll her eyes, but Renard ignored her "and like it or not, if she is a threat to you, then she is a threat to me, too."

"If you plan on catching her, you better move quick," Hank said, coming in from the dining room, "I had Wu run her name, and it looks like she is on a plane out of Portland first thing in the morning, and there is no return flight."

"Where is she headed?" Renard asked with narrowed eyes.

"Vienna," Hank replied.

Renard didn't reply, merely picked up his coat and walked toward the door, turning back just before opening the door, his eyes meeting Adalind's, and then Nick's.

"I'll try and keep her alive," Renard said quietly, "but no promises."

They all stared at the door for a moment after Rendard had closed it behind him.

"So, he just said he might kill someone," Hank started slowly, then continued, "and we just let him go."

"I don't like it either," Nick responded, trying to reassure his partner, "but this other world…..our rules just don't always apply the same way. There are going to be things we will never be able to explain, much less prove. Takes some getting used to."

"You can say that again," Hank replied with a shake of his head, "Is there anything else you need tonight?"

"No, you can head home," Nick replied, "thanks for your help."

After Hank left, Adalind turned to him and shook her head, her smile holding a hint of irony.

"Alone at last," Adalind said, "you know, except for your ex-girlfriend tranquilized on the couch and your undead mother in your basement."

Nick snorted a laugh, and then turned at the sound of his mother joining them in the living room.

"You have an interesting group of friends," Kelly said, glancing at Juliette on the couch.

"And she hasn't even met Monroe and Rosalee yet," Adalind said quietly under her breath, and Nick gave her a stern look, "sorry."

"So this is your ex-girlfriend?" Kelly asked, and Nick nodded, "and she's under the spell of a hexenbiest, who is…." she turned to Adalind, "your mother?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Adalind replied with a tight smile.

"I don't think so," Kelly said, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Adalind, her gaze running up and down, "you say you aren't a hexenbiest, but how is that possible?"

"I think I'll let you field that one," Adalind said to Nick.

"She was a hexenbiest," Nick said, and at his mother's arched brow, he continued, "I killed her hexenbiest spirit."

"Really?" Kelly's impressed tone made Nick feel simultaneously embarrassed and proud.

"Yeah, Adalind gave Hank the Le mort pour l'amour, so I had to break the spell," Nick shrugged, "Didn't really have a choice."

"But then you let her live," Kelly's eyes flicked to Adalind, and then back to Nick, "why?"

"Because I try to avoid killing people, if possible," Nick said sarcastically, "you may not have heard, what with being dead for the last twenty years or so, but I'm a cop. A homicide cop to be even more specific, so I try to avoid it, if possible."

"Interesting," Kelly responded, and he shifted uncomfortably under her stare, "and why is she here?"

"That's a little more complicated," Nick responded, turning to Adalind, "You want to answer that one?"

"Not really," Adalind answered, but Nick gave her a pleading a look and she sighed and looked at Kelly, "Fine. After Nick killed the hexenbiest, a spell was cast. It was just a simple desire spell, but for two people who hated each other, it was a very unwelcome side effect. And the only way to break it was for one of us to die…..or sleep together."

"And you still didn't kill her?" Kelly asked Nick incredulously.

"No!" Nick was getting frustrated, "Killing people is a last resort for me! Even people I don't like!"

"Took me awhile to get used to that, too," Adalind said to Kelly, "Not what you normally hear from a Grimm, is it?"

Kelly shook her head, "no, it's not."

"Long story short, Adalind and I both had some preconceived notions about each other," Nick said, "we talked, she helped me with a few wesen related issues, and we're learning to trust each other."

"You can't trust her," Kelly said, not bothering to hide her feelings from Adalind.

"That's interesting coming from the woman who has been lying to me since I was twelve," Nick said angrily, "Adalind has spent the last few weeks helping me understand the wesen world, something you should have been doing my entire life."

Kelly looked taken aback for a moment, but then nodded her head, "You're right."

"So you can stay, and accept that there is a former hexenbiest who is a part of my life," Nick said pointedly, "or you can leave, and we can both keep pretending that you're dead."

"Nick…" Adalind put a hand on his arm, and her gaze was worried, but he shook his head.

"No," he said looking at her, "you have done more to help me understand being a Grimm than she ever did….or my Aunt Marie, if we are being honest about the situation. Neither one of them prepared me in any way for any of this."

"They were trying to protect you," Adalind soothed, but he was sick of that excuse.

"All of their protection left me vulnerable," Nick replied harshly, "and people were almost killed because I didn't understand."

"We always hoped that I didn't pass the Grimm gene to you," his mother's eyes pleaded with him to understand.

"Well, it did," Nick said, and he held his mother's stare for a moment. He felt some of his anger leech out of him as he remembered her singing him to sleep at night, reading him stories, and taking him to the zoo. He softened for a moment before reverting back to his angry state. It was easier to only deal with that emotion. He could sort through his other feeling later.

Adalind cleared her throat uncomfortably and he realized that the silence had grown awkward. Which meant that at any moment Adalind would start babbling to fill the void.

"We need to get that cat," Nick turned to Adalind just as she was opening her mouth, stopping her before the waterfall of words could start. She shut her mouth and nodded.

"Right," she replied, rocking back on her heels a bit, "the cat."

"How can I help," his mother asked, and Nick hesitated only a moment before answering.

"I need you to stay with Juliette," Nick replied, "so I hope you have more tranquilizer."

%%%%%

Sean entered Catherine's house soundlessly, using the key that she had given him previously. He drew his weapon as he followed the sound of a woman humming in the kitchen.

"Sean, darling," Catherine called in a lilting voice from the other room, "there is no reason for you to have that weapon out. Aren't we friends? Very good friends?"

"I thought we were," Sean replied, stepping into the kitchen, gun raised, "but then you decided to pull this last trick, so now, I'm not sure whose team you're playing for."

"You didn't expect me to just step aside while my daughter became that Grimm's whore, did you?" Catherine turned and looked at him, her eyes blazing, "after everything he did, do you really blame me for a bit of payback?"

"You should stay out of things that you don't understand," Sean snarled at her.

"Well, maybe you played a little too freely with my emotions," Catherine said with mock hurt, "and with my daughters heart. Maybe you should have been a little more open about what was going on. Then maybe neither one of us would have gotten so...confused."

"You knew _**exactly**_ what you were doing," Sean said angrily through gritted teeth.

"Why do you care anyway," Catherine spat, "what does Juliette Silverton mean to you."

"Because she ties the Grimm here, to Portland, and to me," Sean said, his voice suddenly deadly calm, "if she dies, he could quit the force, he could leave, and I have put too much time and effort into him to allow that to happen."

Catherine regarded him for a moment, then a patronizing smile tilted the corner of her mouth, "You think the Grimm and Juliette are still together, don't you?"

"Why wouldn't they be?" Sean questioned, although a sense of dread started building in his gut.

"Maybe because he has found a soft spot for my daughter now that she is a useless human," Catherine replied, "some men find that appealing, and she is still a lovely girl, even without her powers."

"But he was only with her to break the spell….." Sean responded, shaking his head.

"That's how it started, I'm sure," Catherine replied, "but I've been watching them. The Grimm's girlfriend hasn't been to his house in weeks, other than to collect some personal belongings, and only when he's not there. And Adalind has been staying there all this time….."

Catherine let tie implications of her words hang in the air as Sean tried to process the new information that she had revealed to him.

"So," Catherine added after a few moments of silence, "if you want to curry favor with the Grimm, maybe you should start being a bit nicer to Adalind."

"Nick has mentioned that, too," Renard said thoughtfully, then added, "I never imagined that he would leave Juliette."

"Well, perhaps it won't be permanent break up," Catherine said with a cryptic smile, "maybe we can convince Juliette to fight for her man."

Sean's head snapped up, "Why, what did you do to her?"

Catherine shrugged, "Let's just say I whisper in her ear what I want, and she does it."

"Are you kidding me?" Sean's mouth dropped open, "How did you manage that?"

"I'm very talented," Catherine replied, taking a step toward him, "so, maybe we _**can**_ be friends again….we both want the same thing. _**My**_ daughter away from _**your**_ Grimm. All it will take is a whisper in Dr. Silverton's ear, and she'll do whatever I say. From what I hear, your Grimm likes a damsel in distress. Maybe she desperately needs him to take care of her."

Sean looked down at her as she stepped even closer, running a hand up his chest, a wicked smile on her mouth, "Just say the word, Sean, and we can both have what we want."

"I thought you were headed to Vienna," Sean said, his feet rooted to the ground as she continued to run her hands up his chest.

"Well, I don't suppose I would need to go to Vienna to find a prince," Catherine responded, "if I still have one here."

%%%%%

Adalind rubbed her hands together, then blew into them, trying to keep warm against the cold Portland night. She wished she had brought gloves with her, but she hadn't known they would be out in the middle of the night, breaking into a veterinary hospital when she packed. A girl can't pack for _**every**_ eventuality.

"How's it going with that lock?" she asked, looking down at the back of Nick's head as he worked the lockpick.

"For the third time, it's going just fine," Nick replied, with a frustrated sigh, "my fingers are just cold."

"You want me to help?" Adalind asked, hovering just over him, bouncing on her feet to keep warm.

"I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that you can pick a lock," Nick said, before they both heard a loud click, and he looked up at her with a grin of satisfaction.

"Well, I've never had to do it without magic before," Adalind admitted as they stepped into the dark office. Nick quickly stepped to the blinking alarm on the wall and keyed in the code.

"I'm glad they haven't changed that," Nick said with a relieved smile, he turned and looked around the outer office, "where do you think they keep the animals."

"In the back," Adalind said, and Nick flicked on a flashlight. They moved quietly through one exam room, finding the entrance to the backroom where cages lined the wall.

"How do you know the cat will be here," Nick asked as he looked at the cages, "and which cat it is?"

Adalind shrugged, "Just a hunch. I'm guessing my mother told her that the cat was sick to get an appointment. If they couldn't figure out what was wrong, they likely kept the cat for tests. And believe me, there was no way they were figuring out what was wrong with _**that**_ cat."

"Looks like the name of the owners are on each cage…" Nick said, before stopping in front of a cage, "you were right, here she is…..Majique?"

"Such an original name," Adalind said rolling her eyes before stepping closer, "You're going to need to be careful, that cat probably still has the toxin in its system."

Nick took a step closer, and the cat hissed and clawed, rattling the cage.

"Well, that's definitely the right cat," Adalind said sarcastically. Looking around, she added, "there has to be a cat carrier in here or something that we can get her out of here in."

She found an empty duffle bag under a table and held it out to Nick.

"How am I supposed to get the cat into that," Nick said eyeing the bag, then the screeching cat.

Adalind looked around and then smiled, grabbing a small bag off the table, "Treats!"

Nick sighed, and held out his hand, "Okay, let's get this over with."

"Maybe I should do it," Adalind said hesitantly, "the cat will be able to sense your anxiety."

"Be my guest," Nick said standing and brushing his hands off on his legs, "You have more experience with these kinds of things anyway, I suppose."

Adalind shook her head as she squatted next to the cat's cage, "Nope, never used a cat to deliver a toxin or potion before, but when you think about it, it's a pretty ingenious way to do it, especially to a veterinarian."

"Do I hear a hint of pride in your voice?" Nick asked.

"Maybe," Adalind sighed, "she is still my mom, and while she sucks at it, she's the only one I got."

"Well, she didn't let you think she was dead for 20 years," Nick replied with an edge, "So even on a night when your mother poisoned a woman to try and get her to rip your throat out, you _**still**_ don't have me beat in the terrible mom department."

"She was trying to protect you…," Adalind said, and he looked at her in disbelief, "Just don't write her off without talking to her a little more, ok?" She turned her attention back to the cat, and Nick sighed, silently acknowledging that Adalind was right.

While Nick watched, Adalind tossed a couple of treats in the bag, then pulled the opening of the bag over the cage door and opened it slowly. The cat eyed her warily for a moment, then started purring and climbed into the bag. Adalind quickly zipped up the bag, then held it away from her as the cat started scrambling to try and get out.

"Let's get this thing to Rosalee," Adalind said, "I'm not sure how long this bag will hold."

"Maybe we should put the cat in the trunk?" Nick said, keeping his distance from the bag.

Adalind nodded, "And drive fast."

%%%%%

Monroe hung up the phone and looked over at Rosalee, a puzzled look on his face.

"That was Nick," Monroe said, "he asked us to meet him at the Spice Shop, like, now."

"Why?" Rosalee asked, as she cuddled back down into the bed, "Can't it wait until morning?"

"Apparently not," Monroe replied, "there was something about a cat in a duffle bag, and Juliette passed out on his couch. To be honest, I couldn't hear much because Adalind was telling him to slow down because a dead cat would be useless."

Rosalee looked at him in disbelief, and Monroe shrugged, "that's all I got. You want me to call him back, tell him we can't come?"

"No," Rosalee said slowly, getting up and pulling on her jeans, "now I really want to know what's going on."

%%%%%

"You told me to drive fast!" Nick argued as he popped the trunk. Adalind gave him a stern look before looking at the duffle bag, which was now suspiciously still on the floor of the trunk. Adalind picked up an ice scraper and used it to poke at the bag. The cat stirred, and they both took a step back.

"Okay, so the cat is not dead," Adalind said, relieved, "Now we just need to get her inside."

Nick picked up the bag, carefully holding it away from his body as the cat started to squirm against the confines of the bag.

"Maybe we should have brought some of that tranquilizer with us," Nick said as he struggled with the bag.

"No, we made the right decision leaving it all with your mom," Adalind said emphatically, "if Juliette wakes up, we don't want your mom relying on her baser instincts. You might end up with a dead ex-girlfriend problem."

"Which would just be the perfect ending to this perfect day," Nick said sarcastically.

"Well, maybe we can finish that shower later," Adalind said with a smile, then it faded slightly, "although, with your mom at your place, I think I may head back to my place."

"With my mom at my place, _**I**_ might head back to your place, too," Nick said with a tight smile.

"Well, you're always welcome," Adalind replied with a wink, before opening the shop door for him so he could wrestle his squirming bundle through the doorway.

"Please tell me that is just a cat in there," Monroe said as he spotted the bag in Nick's hand.

"It is," Nick responded, setting the bag on the table, "but that's not particularly reassuring in this case."

"Why?' Monroe asked, eyeing the squirming bag with a certain suspicion.

"The cat's been given...something," Adalind explained, "and then the cat scratched Juliette and so she has the same…..something."

"Can you guys help us figure out what that 'something' is?" Nick looked from Monroe to Rosalee.

"I think so," Rosalee said slowly, "but it may take some time. Where is Juliette now?"

Adalind and Nick exchanged a quick glance before Nick answered.

"She's at my place," Nick replied, deciding not to complicate matters by explaining his mother's inexplicable return from the dead, at least for the time being, "We tranquilized her for now, but I don't know how long that will last."

"What was she doing that you needed to tranquilize her?" Rosalee asked, wide-eyed.

"She was angry," Nick said, shaking his head at the memory, "really, really angry. Mostly at Adalind, a little bit at me."

"She wanted to rip my throat out," Adalind added conversationally.

"Why would someone give Juliette a toxin that would make her hate Adalind," Monroe asked.

"My mother," Adalind replied with disgust, "I guess she didn't approve of my new friend."

"Well, that's not really surprising, I suppose," Monroe said with a slow nod, "and hexenbiests aren't really known for their communications skills, are they."

"No, they aren't" Adalind replied, "but their payback is legendary."

They all looked at the duffle bag as it squirmed across the table.

"Poor cat," Monroe said, taking a step closer, then back again as a loud hiss emerged from the closed bag.

"We'll run a few tests," Rosalee said, "go ahead home and take care of Juliette and we'll call you when we know what's going on."

"Thanks guys," Nick said with a relieved sigh, then turned to Adalind, "you ready to go?"

"I was thinking I should go home," Adalind said, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze, "you have a lot going on at your place."

Nick regarded for a moment, then said, "I would feel better knowing you were safe, at least until we know where your mother is."

"I don't know…." Adalind looked uncertain, and Nick reached out a hand for hers. She took it, somewhat reluctantly, and he gave her a small smile.

"With everything else, please don't make me worry about you, too," Nick stopped short of telling her that her presence helped him deal with the emotional turmoil he was dealing with, that he needed her with him. He wasn't quite ready to admit how important she had become to him.

"Okay, but at some point…." Adalind replied before trailing off.

"Yeah, I know, at some point you'll have to go home," Nick said with an ironic smile, "who would have thought I would be sorry to see you go."

"Nobody," Monroe answered, and they all looked at him and he shrugged, "just sayin' "

%%%%%

An hour later, Monroe and Rosalee looked down at the sleeping cat.

"Cats don't, like, um, play possum, do they?" Monroe asked Rosalee nervously.

"Not with what I gave it," Rosalee replied with confidence.

"Okay," Monroe gently picked up the sleeping cat, "Ready."

"Bring me the cat," Rosalee said, putting a bowl on the table.

Monroe brought the cat to Rosalee and watched as she put one of the cat's paws in the bowl, then pulled it back out.

"What's supposed to happen?" Monroe asked as they both looked down at the cat.

"If it turns yellow, I'll have a good idea of what the toxin was that infected Juliette," Rosalee responded, "but if it turns green, there's still a chance we can help her. Blue would be pretty bad, though."

"Hey," Monroe said, his eyebrows rising, "what about red?"

Rosalee's jaw dropped and then she looked at Monroe, "We have to talk to Nick now."

%%%%%

Nick sat at the dining room table with his mother while Adalind was tucked under a blanket on the couch. Whether she was actually asleep, or just avoiding the awkwardness, was unclear, but Nick appreciated that she had stayed close to him. Juliette was safely locked away in the guest bedroom, so even if she woke up, at least she would be contained.

"Where have you been for 18 years?" Nick asked, trying to keep his voice level and calm.

"More places than I care to remember" his mother answered vaguely.

"Why don't you try?" Nick's reply came out more harshly than he intended, and his mother sighed.

"I went after those responsible for killing your father and my friend."

"For 18 years?" Nick shook his head in disbelief, then stood and started to pace.

"I had no idea how long it would take or where it would lead or how many times I'd be misled and deceived," Her voice was pleading with him to understand as she continued, "when I learned about the Dragon's Tongue, that they were after the coins, I knew there was more at stake than just finding the killers. I had to deal with the royal families who are trying to regain the control they had in the last century. A lot of the turmoil in the world today is instigated by their agents."

"Like the Verrat." Nick nodded in understanding.

"You're learning. That's good" his mother smiled, "I wish I could have been the one who taught you."

"Luckily I had Adalind to tell me about the royals," Nick said, turning his head and glancing at Adalind's sleeping form on the couch.

"When I learned that a Grimm had the coins, I was hoping it wasn't you," his mother replied, ignoring his comment, "But they led me to you, and that's all that matters."

"What about the coins?" Nick asked, turning his attention back to his mother.

"They've already taken up too much of our lives." she replied honestly, "They need to be destroyed. The sooner you give them to me, the better. It's the only way I can protect you now."

A knock interrupted the awkward moment, and Nick sighed and rubbed his eyes as he wondered what fresh hell was at his front door.

"Stay back," Nick said as his mother hid in the kitchen.

Nick opened the door and Monroe and Rosalee burst in, rousing Adalind from her sleep on the couch.

"Hey guys," Adalind said with a yawn.

"Hey, we tried to call, but….dude," Monroe looked at the wreckage in his front hall from his fight with Kimura, "what the hell happened here?"

"Remember the guy looking for the coins? Kimura?" Nick said.

Yeah, I remember….wait, is he still here?" Monroe asked, sniffing the air as he woged into his blutbad form, "I can smell him….no wait, not a him. That's a her."

Kelly Burkhardt came running in from the kitchen, and the others watched in horror as she attacked Monroe. Rosalee woged, and Adalind rushed over, but Nick pushed her back before pulling his mother off Monroe.

"Stop!" Nick yelled as his mother tried to lunge out of his arms, "No! Stop it, DO NOT hurt him!"

His mother stopped struggling long enough to look at him in confusion.

"His name is Monroe," Nick said calmly.

"He's a blutbad," his mother shouted, as she struggled once more to get free.

"Yeah, and Rosalee over there is a fuchsbau," Nick replied, maintaining his calm, "and they're both my friends."

"Who the hell is this bitch?" Monroe yelled, retracting back to his human form.

"She's my mother," Nick replied with a sigh.

"Dude…." Monroe said, wild eyed, "you told me she was...I mean, isn't she supposed to be, like, not so alive?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Nick replied.

"I don't believe what I'm hearing," Kelly said through gritted teeth, Nick still holding her back, "are you friends with them?"

"And we're friends with him," Rosalee said, addressing Kelly for the first time.

They all stared at each other for several seconds before Kelly sagged against Nick, seemingly accepting what they were saying.

"I can't believe this….a blutbad, a fuchsbau," Kelly looked over at Adalind in derision, "some sort of reformed former hexenbiest."

"Yeah, it took a little getting used to for us, too, you know,"' Monroe commented.

"I don't like it," Kelly said to Nick.

"You don't have to like it," Nick replied with a shrug, "but just like with Adalind, you can either accept it, or move on. We all have to make choices in life."

Nick let go of his mother and turned back to his friends.

"Did you find out what's going in with Juliette?" Nick asked

"I think so," Rosalee replied slowly, still looking at Kelly with a wary eye, "we think it is a spell known as the _seele dichtungsmittel._ "

"Literally translated it means 'soul sealant'," Monroe provided, "which makes some sense, because the spell itself works a sort of mind control over the person that it is administered to. Eliminates the free will that person has."

"So what she is doing as it my mother's behest," Adalind said with a shake of her head, the added, "I hope she's not expecting a mother's day gift this year."

"How do we fix it?" Nick asked.

Monroe and Rosalee exchanged glances and then looked back at Nick.

"We're not really sure…" Rosalee said, "this stuff is not commonly used, and is frowned upon, even by hexenbiests, so it may take some time to figure it out. But we will figure it out."

"We need to figure it out quick," Nick said sarcastically, as a loud crash sounded upstairs, "because I think Sleeping Beauty is awake."


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you all so much for the review and favs and follows and just for reading in general!

In answer to a couple of questions (that I can remember) - I originally planned this story to take a slightly different (and likely shorter) direction, but it kinda took on a life of its own, and now here we are. I liked exploring how this would change the series as a whole, not just my original, more limited focus. I am still following my original outlined idea, but a little more loosely. I am not sure exactly how long this will end up being, but it will still be awhile (and I will give some warning as we near the end). There is some mention of the white witch in this chapter, but that is still a ways off, and will be more towards the end of the story. Hopefully I will be able to explore it further in sequels :)

 **CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Adalind turned her head to the racket coming from upstairs and shook her head. What were they going to do with the crazy woman in the guest room? Rosalee and Monroe had retreated back to the Spice Shop, leaving her alone with Nick and his mother, which was awkward, at best. His mother seemed to keep one eye constantly on her, waiting for the moment that Adalind would somehow morph into a raging witch once again. If only, though Adalind, then she would have no problem 'handling' the problem upstairs.

"What are we going to do with her," Adalind nodded her head towards the stairs, "she's going to tear your house apart before too long. If my mother did to her what Rosalee said she did, Juliette has a spirit inside her that likely gives her increased physical strength."

They both looked up as they heard another crash from above them.

"See?" Adalind said gesturing with her hands towards the stairs, "I know Rosalee and Monroe were going back to the shop to look for a solution, but maybe we should be going to the trailer. The answer might be there."

Nick nodded in answer, his brow furrowed as he continued to look up the stairs. Then he sighed and looked at her.

"I'm sorry," Nick said with a shake of his head, "I just….I feel guilty for what happened to her. Your mother never would have targeted her if she hadn't been involved with me. Being a Grimm seems to have put everyone I care about in danger. I should have ended things with her as soon as I knew what was happening to me."

"And now you know how your mother felt," Adalind said softly, and he looked up at her, "she would do anything to protect you because of how much she loves you. I know it hurts that she left you, NIck, but she was trying to avoid all of these things that you see happening to the people you love. She didn't want you to be a bargaining chip in these people's games."

"I see what you did there," he replied with a small smile, then looked up the stairs, "Rosalee gave me a sleeping potion to give her that is safe enough to double up on. Hopefully it will knock her out for the next 18 hours or so while we figure this out."

"Do you need some help giving it to her?" Adalind asked, another crash coming from upstairs.

Nick winced at the sound, "no, since you're the one that she is enraged with, its best if you keep out of site. I'll try and handle her. Send my mother up if you hear me screaming, though."

Adalind huffed out a laugh and watched as he went upstairs. She turned when she heard footsteps behind her, and saw that Nick's mother was watching her with narrowed eyes. Adalind held her hands up in mock surrender.

"Don't worry," Adalind said sarcastically, "I'm not in any danger of turning back into a witch."

"You're trying to convince Nick not to hate me," Kelly said matter-of-factly, "Why? Why would you want to help me? What do you get out of it?"

"Believe me, lady," Adalind said hotly, "I'm not doing it for you. I just think that Nick will regret it if he turns his back on you. He loves you, he's just mad right now. And he feels betrayed. Rightly so."

"You care about him," Kelly said, her voice betraying her disbelief in her own statement, "how is that possible."

"Because your son is a good person, not that you would know anything about it," Adalind replied, growing angrier, "he was good to me when he didn't have to be. He protected me when he should have hated me. He helped me when he had every reason to kill me where I stood. And once the dust settled around all of those issues, he took the time to get to know me, the real me, and he accepted me for who I was."

"Do you love him?" Kelly demanded, and Adalind looked at her in surprise.

"Love?" Adalind turned the word over in her mind, and wondered if that was what this was, this feeling she hadn't yet put a name to, "I don't know…."

"If you hurt him, I'll kill you," Kelly eyes held hers.

"Right back at you," Adalind said with a shrug.

%%%%%

Sean walked up behind Catherine, who was standing near a small, bubbling cauldron.

"Is that it," he asked her, looking at the concoction with a mixture of suspicions and awe.

"That's it," Catherine replied with a satisfied smile.

"How exactly does this stuff work?" Sean asked, moving away from the cauldron and walking into his spacious living room. The wall of windows gave him a spectacular view of the city, but tonight he stared blindly out the window. He had told Catherine she could stay with him. The only way that this plan would work was if Nick and Adalind thought that Catherine had fled the country.

"Well, I have to keep the potion active," Catherine replied, following him into the room, "all that really means is that I have to refresh it every few days with a bit of snake oil. We can't let the potion stop bubbling, or the potency starts to wane, eventually depleting completely."

"How does it control her," Sean asked pointedly, turning back around to face her.

"Well, only I can do that," Catherine replied, sliding up next to him, "Only the hexenbiest that created and administered the original potion can control the receiver. And the only thing I need to do to control her thoughts is whisper into the cauldron."

"That's it?" Sean was skeptical, but Catherine nodded.

"That's it," she replied.

"And what were you just telling her to do?," Sean asked, watching her warily as her lips curved into a smile.

"I just told her the truth," Catherine said with mock innocence, "that she loved the Grimm, she was meant to be with him, and nothing should stop them from being together. And she should do anything necessary to be with him."

"You think that's enough?" Sean asked.

"For now," Catherine said with a shrug, "let's see where this takes us. Not many budding relationships can handle an ex-girlfriend constantly underfoot."

Sean nodded, and then looked back out the window, contemplating his current situation. Things were happening too quickly, and not for the first time since he lost control of Adalind, he felt unsure of his decisions. It was too risky to let Nick and Adalind grow to close - the thought of Adalind becoming a white witch was something he didn't want to even think about. But if Nick found out that he was working against him, then he would lose any chance of keeping the Grimm on his side. Either way, he would lose. And that was unacceptable. He was going to need a new plan.

%%%%%

As Nick stood outside the guest room door the loud noises from within suddenly ceased, replaced instead by a the sound of quiet sobbing. His brow knitted in concern and he opened the door to find Juliette sitting on the bed, her head in her hands, crying as if her heart was breaking. She looked up as Nick entered the room and upon seeing him, jumped up and ran toward him. Nick braced himself for the impact, but instead of rage, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her head in his chest. In confusion, Nick brought his arms up and awkwardly patted her on the back, unclear about what was happening.

"Oh Nick," Juliette cried against him, "I'm so sorry, I was just so angry about our break up….and then I saw you with her….and I….I just love you so much, and I don't want to lose you."

"What?" Nick looked down at her head, still resting on his chest, "what are you talking about?"

"I want us to be together, Nick," Juliette said, her voice suddenly clearer as her tears had suddenly disappeared. She ran her hands up his chest and cupped his cheek, "will you kiss me?"

Nick felt an old feeling pull at him, something familiar calling to him when she looked in his eyes, but he shook his head clear. Nothing was like it was before, and she was still under the effects of whatever spell had been cast upon her.

"You're not well, Juliette," Nick said quietly, pulling the small vial that Rosalee had given him from his pocket, "take this, it will help you sleep."

"I don't want to sleep, Nick," Juliette replied, her voice husky as she attempted to press her mouth to his. NIck disentangled himself from her arms and held her at arm's length. She continued to look at him with desire, and he sighed in frustration. He didn't want to force the sleeping potion down her throat, but he had to get it in her somehow, so it seemed a little deception was in order.

"Why don't you lay down on the bed," Nick said, allowing his tone to take on a note of desire as he mustered up a smile as he looked at her, "and close your eyes."

Juliette's eyes lit up and she did as he asked, laying back against the pillows, her lips tilting into a seductive smile. Nick felt like a complete cad as he stepped towards her and sat on the bed next to her. She started to turn to him, but he held her body still with one hand, the other still holding the vial of potion.

"No stay just like that," Nick said in a low voice, hating himself for the subterfuge, but knowing it was necessary. She laid back once again, and he continued, "I'm going to kiss you know."

Juliette smiled and then her lips parted slightly in anticipation of his kiss. Nick sighed inwardly and then opened the vial, quickly putting it to her lips and emptying the contents before she quite knew what was happening. He clamped a hand over her mouth, forcing the liquid down her throat as she thrashed against him. Nick's guilt built three fold as he watched her, hating himself for what he was doing. Juliette, of all people in his life, didn't deserve this, but he didn't know how else to help her.

Once he was sure she had swallowed all of the potion, he lifted his hand and she looked at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"I still love you," she said before her eyes fluttered closed and she fell into a deep sleep.

%%%%%

Adalind paced nervously, glancing periodically up the stairway. It was quiet. Too quiet. Kelly was still eying her suspiciously, and her nerves were on edge. When Nick finally did come down the stairs, her relief was brief as she saw the worried expression on his face.

"What happened?" she asked, wringing her hands anxiously.

"I got her to take the sleeping potion," Nick said wearily, before he sat down on the couch, "she should be out for awhile."

"How'd you get her to take it," Adalind asked, sitting next to him.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Nick said with a wince.

Adalind was about to press the issue, but the pleading look in his eyes stopped her, and she nodded, instead sitting next to him quietly. She knew his guilt was eating at him, and she had no desire to make it worse.

"The potion is supposed to last about eighteen hours," Nick said, rubbing a weary hand across his eyes, "I don't know about anyone else, but I need to get some sleep. I'm not going to be any use to anyone if I can't think straight."

Adalind nodded in agreement and they both turned to Kelly.

"You still going to be here in the morning?" Nick asked, and Adalind couldn't help but note there was no bitterness in his voice, just weary resignation.

"I….yes, I'll be here," Kelly responded, her tone just as weary as her son's was.

"Fine," Nick said pushing himself up from the couch, "you can sleep here. I'll get you a pillow and some blankets."

Nick held out his hand to Adalind and she looked at it for a moment before slipping her hand in his. He pulled her to her feet, not letting go until they made it up to his room. Once there, he pulled her to him, placing a light kiss on her lips before resting his forehead against hers.

"I need to get my mom settled, and then I'll be back," Nick said, then added with a small smile, "try not to fall asleep until I get back."

"I wouldn't dare," she answered with a smile. He gave her one more squeeze before walking out, and Adalind stifled a yawn, tugging off her leggings. She tossed her shirt and bra on the chair and decided that putting anything else on was too much work, opting to climb into bed in just her underwear. She let herself sink into the soft pillow, determined to stay awake for Nick. Then promptly fell asleep.

%%%%%

Adalind came awake slowly, not wanting to wake from the delicious dream that she was having. Nick's hands were on her waist, gripping her hips, pulling her roughly to him. His mouth was hot on her neck, teeth grazing her sensitive skin, and she heard herself moan, pulling her further from sleep. She realized in the next moment that she wasn't dreaming, mostly due to the insistent hand that was pushing down on the only piece of clothing that she had worn to bed. She shimmied slightly to help him remove the offending article, and then turned on her side to meet his gaze.

"Adalind," Nick said reverently, as he cupped her cheek, then ran his hand softly down her face, and along her neck, "how is it that, after everything, you are the only thing in my life that makes any sense."

"I don't know," Adalind replied softly, "but I feel the same…I can't explain it…."

"You don't have to," NIck said with a shake of his head, "we don't have to explain it to anyone. Not my mother, not your mother…..no one."

He pulled her to him once more, and she turned her head up to meet his kiss, which was slow and leisurely as he ran his free hand down her side, over the smooth curve of her hip, before moving at an agonizingly slow place to the aching spot between her legs.

She gasped against Nick's mouth, and she felt his mouth turn up in a grin.

"Like that, do you?" Nick asked in an innocent voice, as he flicked his finger in just the right way, causing her to moan slightly, before she glared at him.

"I think you know the answer to that," she said with as much dignity as she could muster, "and if you keep doing it, I'll forgive you for asking."

"But I so like hearing you tell me how much you like it," Nick replied, his voice turning positively wicked as he continued toying with her, physically and otherwise.

"Nick…." her voice was an odd mix of warning and desire, and Adalind couldn't help but squirm against his hand.

"Nick…...what?" he asked, his voice a bit strained despite the playfulness of the question.

"Nick...I'm going...I'm going to….," Adalind felt herself on the edge, knew what was coming and was reaching for it. She was so close…..

"God, Adalind, I love when you come for me," Nick's voice no longer held any of its previous teasing, but instead was raw with need. His words pushed her over the precipice, and she let the release wash over her, moaning softly, as he held her tightly against his chest. As she came back to earth, he rained feather light kisses on her face, until she pushed him on his back and straddled him.

"Your turn," she said with a seductive smile, "now tell me, Nick. What is that _**you**_ like?"

%%%%%

Nick slipped out bed, taking care not to wake up Adalind. He knew he had been selfish, waking her up in the middle of the night, so it was only fair that he let her sleep in this morning. He quietly put on a t-shirt and sweatpants before moving silently to the the door. He looked at her sleeping face for a moment before closing the door softly behind him. He paused in the hall and gave himself a moment to contemplate the fact that he had turned to Adalind for comfort last night. The sounds of someone making breakfast in his kitchen brought him back to the present, however, and he sighed as he turned his attention to the other woman causing emotional upheaval in his life.

Nick walked in to see his mother looking slightly disheveled as she tried to make breakfast. She looked up when she noticed his presence, and tried to smile, but the smoke coming from the toaster distracted both of them.

"Oh crap," Kelly said, setting down another pan and making a move for the toaster.

"I got it," Nick said, grabbing the toast and putting in on a plate.

"I was just trying to make you a little…..something," she said, looking around sadly at the kitchen.

"It's not necessary," Nick said with a dismissive shrug, "I've been making breakfast for myself for awhile."

He hadn't meant to hurt her, but he saw her wince at the implication of his words. He sighed again before walking to the coffee maker and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry," he heard her say.

"For what?" he asked, not turning around.

"A lot of things on that list," She replied.

Nick didn't answer, not sure what to say.

"Where's Adalind?" his mother asked when he remained silent. There was a hint of judgment in her voice, and Nick turned to face her, a challenging look on his face.

"Upstairs, asleep," Nick said, daring his mother to say something.

"I can't believe you let a hexenbiest in your home, much less in your….." his mother gestured towards the stairs, and Nick raised an eyebrow.

"I told you last night," he reminded her, "Adalind is no longer a hexenbiest. And she has proven herself to me on more than one occasion. Everyone deserves that chance, don't you think?"

"Everyone?" Kelly asked pointedly.

"Yes," Nick replied evenly, "Everyone. It may take some time, but we can try. I was angry last night. Angry about…..so many things. But when push comes to shove, I know that I have missed you every day of my life since you left, and I don't want to go back to that again."

"Thank you," his mother said, her eyes welling with tears.

"That said, you need to try and accept my friends as they are," Nick said evenly, "I couldn't have done any of this without them, especially Monroe. So I need you to understand that they are not the enemy."

"Okay," she agreed. Nick was half convinced she would agree to anything just to stay on his good side.

"Okay," he said setting down his coffee. He looked at her awkwardly, not sure what to do next. Part of him wanted to hug her and hold on forever. But another part was scared of getting attached, just to have her walk out on him again.

"Oh, Nicky," his mother said, letting her tears fall. She made the decision for him, walking over and pulling him into a tight hug, "you have no idea how I have longed to hold you."

Nick closed his eyes and let himself feel for a moment. And in that moment, he realized how much anger he had been holding inside, how much resentment and grief. He felt a weight lift as he started to let go of some of those feelings.

"Hey Nick, have you seen my….." Adalind's voice called from the living room, stopping abruptly as she walked into the kitchen, "Sorry, I really didn't mean to interrupt."

She started to walk away, but he pulled away from his mother instead and grabbed her hand, pulling her back into the kitchen.

"It's fine," he said, flashing her a quick smile, "we're done...for now."

"Okay," Adalind said, though he could tell from her posture that she was still uncomfortable, "I was thinking maybe I should go to my mother's house and see if I can find anything helpful there."

"I'm not sure you should go there alone," Nick said reluctantly, "maybe we could go together after we check for information at the trailer."

"What trailer is this?" Kelly's eager question drew Nick's attention back to his mother.

"Aunt Marie's trailer," he replied, and his mother's face lit up.

"I never thought I would see the trailer again," Kelly said wistfully, then added as Nick looked at her questioningly, "Marie and I bought the trailer when our father got sick. We needed somewhere safe to hide everything that had been passed down to us."

"I think maybe you and your mother should go to the trailer," Adalind said, adding with emphasis, "Alone."

"I'd like that, Nick," his mother said quietly and he nodded slowly in agreement.

"As long as you don't go looking for your mother alone," Nick said to Adalind.

"How about I go to see how Monroe and Rosalee are doing with finding the antidote?" Adalind suggested, "and then if I do decide to go to my mother's place, I'll take one, or both, of them with me."

"I can live with that," Nick replied, "Let's get going. We'll drop you at the shop on the way."

"And what about Juliette?" Adalind said, looking up the stairs, "what if she wakes up."

"She should be out for another 8 hours or so," Nick said, "but even if she does wake up, I think that room can hold her."

"And if can't?" Adalind looked at him nervously, and he forced a smile.

"Then we better watch our backs."

%%%%%

"So Nick hasn't heard anything from Renard about your mother?" Monroe asked.

"Nope," Adalind replied, settling in next to him on the floor. He was surrounded by Rosalee's books in the back room of the shop. Adalind picked one up and idly started thumbing through it, "I wouldn't put it past him to jump on the plane with my mother and fly off to Vienna with her to live evilly ever after."

"That would be a nice family christmas card to get," Monroe said absently, looking down at his book.

"Did you guys find anything?" Adalind asked.

"Not really," Monroe admitted, sitting back and rubbing his eyes, "Rosalee went out to get some breakfast. We were up and at it early this morning."

"It makes some sense," Adalind put down her book with a sigh, "it's a complicated spell, one that a lot of hexenbiests wouldn't even attempt. My mother is one of the few that have the hat required for the spell. Not to mention that it is one of the more powerful hats in existence. It comes from an ancient and powerful coven."

"Someone should probably take that away from her," Monroe replied sarcastically, before standing and pacing, "the only thing we have found so far said that the only way to break the spell was to destroy the potion that was made. Once the potion was eliminated, the victim went back to their normal state, although they _**remembered**_ everything they did."

"That might get tricky to explain," Adalind said.

"I don't even want to think about that conversation," Monroe said before continuing, "I wonder how your mother planned to take the potion with her to Vienna. Not like you can just casually walk through security with a bubbling cauldron these days."

"Maybe she didn't take it with her, and never planned to," Adalind said with a shrug, "maybe she thought the few days it would last would be enough to get rid of me...or Nick...or whoever she was trying to get rid of."

"Or maybe the ticket to Vienna was a red herring, and she never intended to go," Monroe said thoughtfully.

"I knew I should have gone to my mother's house first," Adalind muttered, then looked up at Monroe, "want to take a field trip?"

%%%%%

"There is so much history here," Kelly said as Nick led her into the trailer. He had to smile at her childlike wonder as she looked around the trailer. She picked up a weapon and held it up, "Your great-great-grandmother Hilda, with this blade, castrated a rotznasig carcaju"

"Good times," Nick said in bemusement, "so...who else in our family has this…...problem."

"That I know of?" his mother looked thoughtful for a moment, then answered, "your great-great-grandmother, great-grandmother, grandfather and Aunt Marie. I had hoped…...well, I never wanted this for you."

"Well, it's not like you had much of a choice," Nick responded, "so, let's see if we can find anything to break this spell or whatever it is."

For the next half hour, they worked quietly across from each other. Nick looked up when he heard his mother take a sharp intake of breath. Then winced when he realized which book she was looking in.

"Adalind tried to kill Aunt Marie?" his mother asked him, accusingly.

"Yeah, she did," Nick started slowly, "but she was a hexenbiest then. And working for the royal in Portland. And terrified of Grimms."

"I don't see how you could get past this…..wait, there's a royal in Portland?" she shook her head at him, and he sighed again.

"We can all have a nice long chat about it," Nick replied, " _ **after**_ we figure this spell out. Can we please just deal with one ridiculous problem at a time?"

Kelly huffed a sigh in reply, and went back to the book. Several minutes passed by before she spoke again, looking up at him with an odd expression.

"How much of this book on hexenbiests have you read?" she asked.

"Most of it," Nick replied, "before I de-hexed Adalind, I had a few run ins with her that made me more than a little interested in what they were like."

"Did you ever read this prophecy?" she was still looking at him oddly, and he shrugged, growing uncomfortable under her stare.

"Probably not," Nick admitted, "I was looking for more practical advice, not a history lesson. Why?"

"Because this prophecy talks about a Grimm and a hexenbiest who are blood bound," Kelly said slowly, and Nick had a flash of memory of Adalind talking about that very thing. Nick set down the book he was looking at, and reached for the book, but his mother seemed hesitant to give it to him.

"Let me see the book," he said in a calm, but forceful voice and Kelly reluctantly handed him the book, and he started to read. It wasn't much, and he could easily see why he would have overlooked it before.

 _I came across a small cottage in the woods that seemed abandoned, but  
as I drew closer, some tendrils of smoke could be seen coming from the chimney.  
I knocked, and a beautiful woman opened the door and welcomed me.  
I told her I was helping with the search for witches in the area, and she woged suddenly  
identifying me as a Grimm, and she as a hexenbiest.  
She must have enchanted me, for the next thing I knew, she was kissing me, then telling me  
to leave, and that I was not meant for her, saying only  
_" _one day, one of your kind will be blood bound with one of mine  
and they will fight past these ancient hatreds and find love.  
She will become more powerful than you can imagine  
but he will bring light to her darkness  
and together they will end these persecutions and trials."  
After that she cast me out, and I was never able to locate the house again, though  
I tried for months to find her once more._

Nick looked up at his mother with an indulgent smile, "Doesn't say much does it?"

"But what if this means something? What if….." his mother was getting agitated and Nick held up a hand.

"Number one, it's just an old story," Nick began.

"Everything we are is based on 'old stories,' Nicky," his mother responded.

"And number two, Adalind isn't even a hexenbiest anymore," Nick shrugged.

"The only way a Grimm and a hexenbiest _**can**_ be blood bound is by doing what you did," she argued, and then pointed at the book, "I think this means something."

"Fine," Nick sighed, "maybe it means something, maybe it doesn't, but right now I have more pressing problems, so let's just put this on the long list of things we need to talk about."

His mother nodded in agreement, looking down at the book again, and Nick shook his head. But an uneasiness had taken hold of him that he couldn't quite shake.


	16. Chapter 16

I am glad everyone is still enjoying the story - I appreciate every review, follow and favorite!

 **CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

"So," Monroe started conversationally as they drove to Adalind's mother house, "how's it going with the surprise….house guest, I guess?"

"About as well as could be expected," Adalind said with a sigh, "she watches me like a hawk, and she definitely doesn't trust me. But we're trying to be civil, I suppose, for Nick's sake. He needs to reconcile with her, one way or the other."

"Yeah," Monroe answered, then added a moment later, "but I gotta tell you, that woman scares the hell out of me."

"Me too," Adalind said with a self deprecating smile, "I just try not to show it. I think she respects me more when I stand up to her."

"Better you than me," Monroe muttered as they pulled up in front of her mother's house. They sat for a moment just looking at the house warily, although there was no movement that they could discern from the car.

"You know, your mom's house has a real dark-artsy vibe going on," Monroe said as they got out of the car, "you just kinda feel like there is some bad ass potion making going on in there."

"Well, let's hope that there is nothing going on in there right now," Adalind said, opening the door slowly. Monroe put a staying hand on her arm, stopping her from going any further. He held a finger up to his lips, silently instructing her to stay quiet. Adalind's brow drew together in confusion, but understanding dawned on her face as he woged, sniffing the air around them.

"I don't think there is anyone here," Monroe said, retracting his blutbad form and moving forward into the house, "although, she hasn't been gone long."

Adalind walked into the familiar home, and a pang of hurt swept through her. As angry as she was with her mother, as much as she knew that the woman had no real care or concern for her, it still stung that she would purposefully and vindictively plot directly against her. Making her way into the kitchen, the memories of potion making lessons made their way through her mind. What had once seemed like relatively happy mother-daughter moments now seemed more manipulative in nature. She had never been anything more than a useful tool to her mother. As soon as the usefulness was gone, so was any affection her mother held for her.

"Find anything?" Monroe asked, walking up behind her and pulling her out of her upsetting thoughts.

Adalind shook her head, "No, not yet, but I doubt she would just leave it out on the kitchen counter for us to find. She would likely make some attempt to hide the potion, even knowing it would be found eventually. If you look down here, I'll take the upstairs."

Monroe nodded in agreement, and she headed up the stairs, going first through her mother's room, then her childhood bedroom. Had they not been looking for evidence of her mother's treachery, she may have enjoyed looking through the memories of her youth, but instead, it made her more bitter. She opened a small box at the bottom her closet, and she smiled at its contents. For the first time since she entered the house, a sense of nostalgic happiness came upon her as she pulled out a handmade quilt. Her grandmother had made it for her when she had lived with them. Under the quilt were other remnants of her life on the farm. Adalind sighed at the memory, at how uncomplicated things had been when she was with them. Putting the quilt back in the box, she put it back in the closet and closed the door.

The search of the upper floor of her mother's home had been futile, and as she made her way back downstairs, she concluded that Monroe had not had any better luck than she had.

"If it's not here, then where else could she have hidden it," Monroe asked with exasperation.

"I'm not sure….." Adalind said with a shrug, "I mean, it's not like she had any friends that she could leave it with. And she wouldn't want to leave it just anywhere, that would be too risky…."

Monroe and Adalind shared a look, both coming to the same conclusion.

"I don't think your mother left Portland," Monroe said.

Adalind nodded slowly, "And if she's still here, then where the hell is she?"

%%%%%

Rosalee heard the bell on the door of the shop ring, and she walked into the front room, summoning a tired smile as she went. The customer, a tall, elegant woman with shorter blonde hair stood at the counter, her lips set in an impatient line.

"Hello," Rosalee said in greeting, "what can I help you with?"

"I need a bottle of Lausenschlange oil," the woman replied in a haughty voice, "the largest bottle that you have."

Rosalee nodded, guessing correctly that the woman was not interested in idly chatting while she prepared the order. She pulled a bottle of the snake oil from the shelf and slipped it into a simple brown bag. Placing it on the counter, she slid the purchase towards the woman, who quickly inspected the contents and returned the bottle to the bag.

"Is this the largest you have?" the woman asked with a hint of contempt.

"It is the last bottle I have in stock," Rosalee responded, "I'll be ordering more, so if you would like a larger bottle, I'll special order that, as well."

The woman simply nodded, then picked up a pen and wrote a phone number on a slip of paper.

"Call me when you get more," she said, sliding the paper towards Rosalee, who nodded in answer before ringing up the current purchase.

"That will be one hundred," Rosalee said, trying with some difficulty to maintain her serene smile.

"I don't think so," the woman responded, suddenly woging into the decaying visage of a hexenbiest. Rosalee stumbled back a bit, then regained her composure.

"Seventy-five," Rosalee countered, and the woman nodded.

"Better," she laid the cash on the counter, put the package in her purse and walked out the door.

Rosalee sighed in relief as she watched the woman leave. As she started to walk towards the back room to resume her research, something about the encounter started to feel off to her. While encounters with hexenbiests in her shop did happen, they were fairly rare, as there were relatively few hexenbiests. And there was something familiar about this one, although Rosalee knew that she had never met one before. But the blond hair and blue eyes seemed so similar…

Rosalee suddenly looked to the book that contained the ingredients needed for the seele dichtungsmittel. While Lausenschlange oil was a fairly common ingredient, Rosalee scanned the book and found that it was needed not only for the original potion, but also to maintain the potency. This particular hexenbiest's need for the large amount of oil, coupled with the physical similarities to Adalind had her mind spinning. She reached for her phone and quickly dialed Monroe. She knew that he had gone with Adalind to her mother's house, and she now had a very real fear that the woman might be headed that way.

She waited impatiently for Monroe to answer, cutting off his greeting as soon as he picked up the phone.

"Where are you?" Rosalee asked hurriedly.

"On our way back to the shop," Monroe said, and she could hear the confusion in his voice, "Why, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I'm not sure," Rosalee said, relaxing with the information that they were on their way back to the shop, "I think Adalind's mother might have been here. When you get back, I can have her confirm it for me."

"Okay," Monroe said, "we should be there in five minutes."

Rosalee paced nervously, watching out the window for Monroe's car. As soon as they pulled up, she saw Adalind practically jump from the car. Rosalee held the door open and Adalind looked at her expectantly.

"My mother was here?" she asked, and Rosalee nodded.

"I think so," Rosalee held out the paper with the phone number on it, "Is this her number."

Adalind looked down at it and started to nod slowly, confirming what Rosalee suspected.

"What should we do?" Rosalee asked.

"We need to call Nick," Adalind replied.

%%%%%

"Of the many potions, nostrums and anti-nostrums, poisons and antidotes, and concoctions of delusions associated with the Hexenbiest, Seele Dichtungsmittel is perhaps the most troubling. What would God have us do but choose good over evil? Free will is the light of the human soul. Yet Seele Dichtungsmittel consumes free will, as a flame consumes a wick until the candle has melted to a puddle…"

Nick listened as his mother read the entry in the Grimm diary that she had found that referenced the potion that was used on Juliette. While it was interesting, it offered no further guidance on how they could break the spell, outside of destruction of the potion itself. He hoped that the others were having more luck with the books at Rosalee's shop.

The buzzing of his phone cut his mother's reading short, and noting the caller before picking up, he allowed himself to smile slightly before answering.

"Adalind, everything okay?" Nick asked, his mother arching an eyebrow at him, but making no comment.

"Yes, well, no, but yes, we're all okay right now," Adalind said, her words coming out in a hurried jumble, "my mother was here."

"Your mother was at the shop?" Nick sat up straighter in his chair, and his mother leaned in closer, eager to hear more, "what did she say to you? Did she hurt you, or anyone else?"

"I wasn't here," Adalind replied, and Nick sighed in relief, "Monroe and I went to my mother's house - which was a dead end by the way - and she came here while just Rosalee was here. Since she doesn't know about your connection with them, she would have no reason to worry about coming here."

"What did she want?" Nick asked.

"Lausenschlange oil," Adalind responded, "according to Rosalee's book, the snake oil is used to keep the potion active. Without it, the potency fades and eventually the effects of the spell will wear off."

"So, I guess she's not headed to Vienna," Nick said sarcastically.

"Doesn't look like it," Adalind said, and he thought he might have heard some regret in her voice before she continued, "but we need to find her, find out where she's staying. Destroying this potion is our best chance of breaking the spell quickly."

"Where do you think she could be?" Nick asked, and he heard Adalind sigh on the other end.

"That the tricky part," she responded, "it's not like she has friends that would let her stay with them, so she may be holed up in a hotel somewhere. The only person she had any kind of relationship with was Sean…."

Adalind let the implication hang in the air, and Nick frowned. The captain had assured them he was working with them, not against them. But Nick also knew that Renard served his own purposes first and foremost. So the question he had to ask himself was whether Renard could gain anything by controlling Juliette.

"Have you heard from Sean?" Adalind asked finally, the silence having dragged on for several seconds.

"No," Nick replied tightly, "I haven't."

"Well, I think that may be the place to start," Adalind said, "that, and maybe checking local hotels in case she was dumb enough to use her own name."

"I'll ask Hank to follow up on that," Nick replied, "'I'll take care of the captain."

%%%%%

Sean had time to think while Catherine was out procuring more Lausenschlange oil for the potion. He had been staring out the window since she left, trying to work through the most beneficial end to their current situation. The most beneficial for him.

He knew that it would be foolish to antagonize Nick. The Grimm was essential to all his plans, and now that Nick knew that, he had the power. And Sean didn't like when someone else had the power.

He also knew that Nick valued his friends highly, and could easily be manipulated by threats against them. While he was no longer with Juliette, he knew Nick well enough to know that he would still be worried about her, and probably feel guilty that he had exposed her to the danger in the first place.

So Sean had to decide how he wanted to handle this particular turn of events. He could play the hero, and turn Catherine over to the Grimm. But that still left Adalind as part of Nick's life, her influence threatening Sean's position of power, not to mention the possibility of Adalind regaining her powers.

The alternative involved lying to Nick, hoping that he would fall back in love with Juliette and send Adalind packing. Sean sighed, realizing that this was a long shot. As long as Juliette remained ignorant of the wesen world, Nick wouldn't risk drawing her in, and he would always hold her at arm's length. What relationship could possibly survive that kind of deception. But if Juliette knew what Nick was, what wesen were, he wouldn't have to hide himself from her anymore…..

The thought swirled around his mind, and he turned it over and over. Could he risk telling her? He looked up as Catherine walked in a small bag in her hand.

"The victim retains all memory of what this potion did to them when they recover, correct?" Sean asked her, forgoing any greeting.

"Yes," Catherine nodded, pulling a bottle from her bag and walking to the cauldron, which was still bubbling on the counter, "she will remember everything she did."

"And everything she was told...by you?" Sean pressed on, a plan taking shape in his head.

"Of course," Catherine responded, looking up at him, "why?"

"I think it's time Juliette knew exactly what was going on," Sean replied, his mouth tilting slightly into a cold smile.

%%%%%

Nick and his mother headed for home after calling Hank and asking him to try and track down Catherine. He had Adalind text him the phone number that her mother left with Rosalee, and he sent the to Wu, asking him to try and get a location. If they were lucky, they would get a hit on one of them.

His captain wasn't answering his phone, which only fueled Nick's suspicion that he wasn't being totally truthful with him. He was considering going to his home and see exactly Renard was up to, but he wanted to keep that as a last resort. Showing up unannounced at your boss's home was a risky move, even for a Grimm. However, it was one he was willing to take if he didn't get some answers soon.

While he waited to hear back from Hank and Wu, he wanted to go home and check on Juliette. If the sleeping potion was as potent as Rosalee seemed to think it would be, Juliette would still be sleeping for a few more hours, but his guilt wouldn't allow him to not at least check and make sure that was the case.

"I'm going to make some coffee," his mother said as they walked in, "I need some caffeine after looking at those dusty books for hours. You want some?"

Nick nodded in reply, then headed up the stairs, both happy and apprehensive that no noise was coming from the guest room. He took the key from the top of the door jamb and slid it into the lock, careful to make as little noise as possible. He opened the door slowly, bracing himself for a possible attack. He was relieved to see that Juliette was still laying on the bed, her breathing deep, although she appeared to be whispering something. Nick moved a little closer to hear what she was saying.

"Grimm," she muttered, before moving fitfully on to her side, and Nick stepped back in surprise. He couldn't quite believe she had just said what he thought he had heard. He moved closer once again straining his ears to hear her low muttering.

"Wesen?" Juliette's brow furrowed in her sleep, and Nick knew there was no mistaking what he was hearing. But how was it possible for Juliette to know about Grimms….and wesen.

"Catherine," Nick flexed his hand in anger as he realized the likely source. The witch was feeding Juliette information, and there was no way for Nick to stop what was happening.

He stepped quickly out of the room, shutting the door behind him and making his way downstairs to where his mother was sitting at the counter, sipping from a mug. She slid one over to him before noticing the look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Kelly asked, "is Juliette awake?"

"No," Nick said angrily, "but something is happening right now. I heard her talking in her sleep, and she very clearly said 'Grimm' and 'wesen."

"And I take it that's not something you ever told her about," Kelly surmised, and Nick nodded, "someone's telling her about our world….but why?"

"I don't know," Nick replied, standing up and pacing in agitation, "to create more drama? To make my life difficult? I don't know!"

"Am I right to assume that Adalind's mother is unhappy about her daughter being...involved with you?" his mother asked delicately.

"I would imagine, but we haven't exactly talked about it. I've never even met the woman," Nick narrowed his eyes, "Why? What are you thinking?"

Kelly shrugged, "I'm not sure, but maybe she thinks if Juliette knew everything that was going on, you would be able to be together. You wouldn't have to lie to her anymore, and she would understand and maybe even be helpful to you."

Nick chewed on that for a minute, then shook his head, "she would know about everything, but she would still be in constant danger because of it, would have no way to protect herself from it…..not to mention the fact that I really don't think she would be okay with some of the things I have to do."

"Your father was human, and he was able to accept me for what I was," Kelly said, and Nick gave her a quelling glance, "what? I'm just saying, you don't have to give up the woman you love just because she's a human."

"Not to state the obvious, but my father didn't exactly survive the experience," Nick replied, "and I honestly don't think my feelings for Juliette are strong enough to survive all of this."

"But your feelings for Adalind are?" his mother retorted, "honestly, Nicky, I don't understand how you can throw away your relationship with a perfectly lovely human for a _hexenbiest_!"

"You don't even know Juliette," Nick said flatly, "or Adalind for that matter, so maybe you should keep your opinions on my personal life to yourself."

"Has it occurred to you that Adalind's mother and I have been at this a lot longer than the two of you, and that maybe, just maybe, we know what we're talking about," Kelly sounded exasperated, but Nick continued to regard her with disinterest, "I can't believe you are forcing me to agree with a hexenbiest!"

"And what hexenbiest would that be," Nick and his mother both turned at the sound of Adalind's voice. His mother had the decency to look a little embarrassed, but Nick just gave her a put upon smile.

"Well, _**my**_ mother thinks that _**your**_ mother is trying to manipulate Juliette back into my life, and _**my**_ mother thinks that is a fantastic idea, and that Juliette and I should get back together " Nick told her, expecting Adalind to react with her usual sarcastic wit. Instead, he was dismayed to see a shadow of uncertainty cross over her face, and she shifted uncomfortably on her feet. He realized too late that she was still worried that he had lingering feelings for Juliette.

"I'm going to leave you two alone," he heard his mother say, but he kept his eyes on Adalind as the sound of her footsteps faded.

"Why do you think my mother wants you with Juliette?" Adalind asked when they were alone.

"I went up to check on her and I heard her muttering about grimms and wesen, things she should know nothing about," Nick sighed, "and my mother thinks that _**your**_ mother may be telling her about our world so that there are no more barriers between Juliette and I, which in turn would make me turn my back on you….and so on and so on."

"Well, it's not that farfetched," Adalind replied, looking everywhere but at him, "my mother was horrified that I would associate you. And we both know how your mother feels about it."

"I know," Nick agreed, taking the few steps to close the distance between them, "and I told you last night, we don't owe anyone an explanation about what we do. Their opinions don't matter."

"Not now," Adalind said, finally meeting his eyes, "But I'm worried that someday it will matter. And not just about our mother's disapproval, but everyone's."

"We can't worry about everyone else," Nick said, and he pulled her into a reassuring hug, feeling some of the anxiety flow out of her as she rested her head against his chest. He placed a light kiss on the top of her head, and he continued, "I know this is harder for you, having been raised a certain way, to believe that I...that grimms are the enemy."

"It's not just our mothers that will have a problem with this, Nick," she replied, and he felt her nestle closer to him, as if she could burrow inside, away from everything that faced them, "I'm just afraid the world will never leave us alone."

Nick didn't have an answer for that. Up until he had started….whatever this was with Adalind, he had never thought about the bigger picture, had been too busy getting up to speed with the everyday trials of being a Grimm, never really thinking of anything outside of Portland. But now he had to worry about Royals, keys, coins, and who knew what else. To his way of thinking, alliances _**with**_ wesen would be more helpful to him than anything else, but he was rapidly becoming aware that the rest of their world didn't necessarily hold the same opinion of the situation.

"I don't think they will," Nick answered honestly, his grip on hr instinctively tightening, "But I think that would be true whether we were together or not. So, isn't it better to face it together?"

Adalind didn't answer, instead pulling slightly out of his embrace so she could look in his eyes, and he knew from her expression that she was weighing what he said. He let her have a moment, but before she could answer, he bent his head and kissed her gently, slanting his mouth over hers slightly as she opened under him, responsive to his touch as always. One hand slid into her hair as the other cupped her cheek gently. He continued to apply just the slightest pressure to her lips, his tongue slowly and intimately tangling with hers.

This kiss was different than their usual heated embrace, and Nick had proceeded that way on purpose. To show her, in a way that he couldn't yet tell her, that she meant more to him than just the physical aspect of their relationship.

"Nick?" another voice in the room penetrated his thoughts, and he reluctantly pulled himself away from Adalind and looked up, shocked to find Juliette looking at them, a horrified expression her face.

%%%%%

Sean waited until he heard the shower turn on to leave his bed. He knew Catherine's habit of showering after their encounters, so he had planned this one explicitly so he would have enough time to leave his apartment. It was a bit of a risky move on his part, leaving her there while he left with her potion. But once he had secured the loyalty of the Grimm, he was sure he could have her swiftly dispatched if needed.

He still needed to tread carefully. Nick could never know that he was the one that insisted Catherine reveal the wesen world to Juliette. He didn't think Nick would appreciate the additional manipulation, and Sean didn't plan on taking the fall for this particular part of the plan. All he could do now was hope that Juliette's new knowledge would make her more appealing to Nick. If it didn't, and he insisted on continuing to pursue Adalind, another course of action would have to be taken…

Sean quickly dressed and made his way into the kitchen, where he eyed the bubbling potion for a moment before looking for a box in which to transport the small cauldron. Once located, he gently put the potion in the box, draping a towel over the top to keep out the prying eyes of any neighbors who happened to be out and about. He quietly opened the door and slipped out, the sound of the shower still running as he closed the door.

As he walked to the elevator, a smile formed on his mouth. Time to play hero.

%%%%%

Adalind stepped away from Nick in wide eyed shock, looking from him to Juliette and then back again.

"I forgot to lock the door again," Nick said, half to himself, as he closed his eyes briefly before opening them again and looking back at Adalind, "I'm sorry…."

"Why are you apologizing to her?" Juliette asked, and Adalind didn't hear any of the anger from the night before, just hurt, "You're standing here, in our _**home**_ …..kissing her!"

"But it's not _**our**_ home anymore, Juliette," Nick said gently, "remember, we broke things off weeks ago."

"But I love you," Juliette replied, ignoring Adalind, her eyes starting to tear up as she moved towards Nick, "and I know you love me. That doesn't just go away."

As Juliette moved closer to them, Nick deftly moved in front of Adalind, positioning himself between the two women. He held one arm up toward Juliette, halting her progress forward, while the other hand snaked around behind him, pressing against Adalind's thigh in a gesture of not only reassurance, but a silent command to stay behind him.

"Maybe I should leave…...let you two talk," Adalind said quietly, but Nick shook his head almost imperceptibly and she sighed, remaining where she was, at least for the moment. She didn't really have it in her to stand around and watch Juliette get all weepy over Nick.

"Let her go, Nick," Juliette said, "then we can be together. And I can show you how much I love you. And then you'll remember how good we were together."

"I'm not that guy anymore, Juliette," Nick responded with a shake of his head, "I'm starting to wonder if I ever really was."

"That's okay, Nick. I know everything now. I know what you are," Juliette's eyes finally shifted to Adalind and her tone changed to contempt, "and I know what _**she**_ was. You don't have to hide anymore, Nick. I can help you and support you. We can be a team."

"I won't expose you to all of this," Nick said, his voice serious, "you can walk away from this, you can be safe. I don't want to have to worry all the time about what is happening to you, and who will hurt you. I care too much about you to let that happen."

Adalind knew that Nick was trying to let Juliette down easy, but his words cut through her. All of her insecurities rose to the surface as she listened to him, and she tried to tamp down the jealousy that had started to course through her, hot like lava.

"Do you love her?" Juliette asked suddenly, and Adalind sucked in a breath and held it while she waited to her his reply.

"I'm not going to answer that," Nick said, his voice hard, and Adalind released the breath she had been holding. She felt both disappointment and relief at his answer, honestly not sure what she had been hoping he would say. Everything had been moving so quickly, and she was starting to feel panicky, as if the walls were moving in on her. Her mother, his mother and now Juliette…..their relationship was starting to feel a bit crowded.

"Well, I guess we know the answer to that question then, don't we," Juliette said with a maliciousness in her tone as she looked coldly at Adalind.

A sharp rapping sound pulled her attention, as well as Juliette and Nick's attention to the front door.

"Nick, open up, it's important," Adalind heard Sean's voice, and looked up at Nick questioningly.

"Want me to get that?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light "seems you have your hands full here."

He sighed and gave her a stiff nod. Adalind went to the door and swung it open, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Welcome to the party, Sean," Adalind said sarcastically, "always room for one more!"

Sean's eyes swung to Juliette and he looked mildly surprised.

"This is an interesting gathering," Sean said slowly, then he looked down at Adalind and said quietly, "I have your mother's potion."

Adalind looked for the first time at the small box that he was holding and she couldn't contain the sigh of relief that escaped her.

"Thank God!" she took the box from him and started moving towards the kitchen, only to have Juliette move in her path.

"What do you think you're doing?" Juliette demanded, and Adalind closed her eyes monetarily in frustration.

"I'm going to turn you back into a normal, rational, free thinking human being," Adalind replied, but Juliette still didn't move. Adalind sighed and looked at Nick, "could you please take care of her while I do this?"

Juliette started to take another step towards her, but Nick quickly stepped in, taking Juliette's arm and leading her to the couch. Responding immediately to his attention, Juliette seemed to forget everything, and everyone, else in the room. Adalind rolled her eyes and continued into the kitchen, Sean on her heals.

"What's going on with those two," Sean said, nodding toward Nick and Juliette.

"Well, the working theory is that my mother told Juliette that she is still in love with Nick," Adalind said with a sigh, setting down the box, and then resting her hands on the counter, "not to mention that she seems to have told her all about the wesen world."

"Really?" Sean said, his eyes glistening with interest, "how intriguing."

Adalind narrowed her eyes at him, "you didn't know anything about this, did you?"

Sean shook his head, "no, of course not." Adalind didn't buy his innocent act for a minute, but decided to let it drop for the moment.

"What happened with my mother?" Adalind eyed him suspiciously, "You didn't kill her did you?"

"Of course not," Sean said, "I just slept with her."

"You're a pig," Adalind said, with a disgusted shake of her head, "where is she now?"

"Probably at my place, realizing that I've betrayed her and taken her little potion," Sean responded, then chuckled, "she is not going to be happy."

%%%%%

Catherine stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around herself, a small smile playing on her mouth. Things had worked out well for her. Better than expected, actually. Sean hadn't been upset by her interference, at least he hadn't been for long. And now she was back in a position of power, and she didn't even have to fly halfway around the world to obtain it. Better the devil you know…

She walked into the bedroom, frowning slightly as she realized it was empty. Her agitation started to grow as she walked down the hallway to the living room and found that Sean was nowhere to be found.

"Sean?" she called, but she was greeted with silence. Her brow furrowed in confusion, she walked into the kitchen, looking for a note indicating he had left, but she found nothing. Looking around absently, she noted that something was missing. Something very important.

"That son of a bitch," Catherine growled. She quickly went back into the bedroom and dressed, calling for a cab as she hastily threw on her jacket. He wasn't going to get away with this betrayal. Not this time.

%%%%%

"So, we just put that," Nick indicated a small bottle in Adalind's hand, then pointed to the small pot on the counter, "Into that. And that's it?"

"That's it," replied Adalind, popping off the cork and giving them all a serious look, "but she is going to retain all the memories of what happened to her. She's going to have a lot of questions."

Adalind and Rosalee had mixed the little concoction earlier in the day in the hopes that they would have access to the potion sooner rather than later. In Adalind's opinion, it wasn't soon enough. She could only take so much of Juliette making cow eyes at Nick before she was going to be retching all over the kitchen.

Juliette was sitting calmly with Sean on the couch, but her eyes followed Nick wherever he went in the room, and frankly, it was a bit disconcerting.

"Here we go," Adalind said, tipping the vial into the potion. They both watched as the two potions mixed together, causing a foaming reaction before finally dissipating into a black liquid. A skull appeared, and then just as suddenly disappeared.

"That usually means it's done," Adalind explained, before stirring slightly and nodding, "Ya, this potion is toast. The effects should wear off anytime now."

All eyes turned to Juliette, who had closed her eyes, and was holding her temples. Her face turned into a grimace of pain, and she let out a howl that sounded close to that of a wounded animal.

"And that usually means the potion is wearing off," Adalind said with a wince, feeling some sympathy for the other woman. It wasn't Juliette's fault that her mother was a raging lunatic.

Nick walked towards Juliette and crouched down in front of her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, and Juliette looked up at him hesitantly, before looking at Adalind and Sean.

"Yeah, I think so," Juliette replied, then turned to him with a bewildered look on her face, "but what the hell is going on?

Before anyone could answer, the front door flew open, and Catherine Schade walked through the door, the rage coming off of her in waves as she took in the occupants of the room.

"Well, isn't this cozy, all of you together," she said with an icy smile, "so, who wants to die first?


	17. Chapter 17

So sorry for the late update - especially after the cliffhanger last chapter! That was unintentionally cruel! Work has been crazy, tack on the upcoming holiday, my kiddo turning 5 (today!) and things just got away from me! I should be back on track to have the next chapter up on Tuesday 11/21.

That said, this was also a difficult chapter for me to write...

Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews and favs/follows. Knowing that there are people waiting to read the next chapter is definitely a motivator to keep going!

Hope you enjoy!

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

"Nobody needs to die here," Nick said, holding up his hands and using his placating cop voice, "I'm sure we can settle our differences without more bloodshed."

Catherine started to laugh, but there was no humor in it.

"You really are just a baby Grimm, aren't you?" Catherine replied condescendingly, before her face turned hard once more, "I'm going to destroy you, just like you destroyed my daughter."

She took a menacing step towards Nick, and he braced himself for a fight. It wouldn't be his first with a hexenbiest, but he was keenly aware that Catherine was more powerful than Adalind had been. Before she could reach him, however, Adalind stepped between them.

"Please, mother, you don't need to do this," Adalind said, her voice pleading, "don't you see, he didn't kill me. I'm still here. He didn't destroy me…"

Adalind trailed off as her mother started to laugh again.

"You're such a stupid, stupid girl, Adalind," Catherine replied with a shake of her head, "don't you see how useless you are, just another pretty face, with no power or consequence. What good are you now, except as the Grimm's whore."

Nick saw Adalind clench and unclench her fists, the color in her cheeks rising as her breath started to become more rapid. He stepped forward, putting himself between the two women before Adalind started something she had no chance at finishing.

"You can't reason with her," Nick said gently, putting a hand on her arm while keeping one eye on Catherine, "don't waste your time."

"Isn't that sweet," Catherine said sarcastically, "has he convinced you that he loves you, Adalind. How sad you must be to actually believe anything that a Grimm would tell you."

"Enough!" Renard's voice carried through the room, and all eyes turned to him as he focused on Catherine, "your time is up, Catherine. It's time for you to move on."

"Move on?" Catherine said in a low voice, moving towards Renard, "after everything you've done, everything you had me do, do you really think it's that easy? After you used and discarded me, and my daughter, you think you can walk away from this unscathed."

"I think you are outnumbered and outmaneuvered," Renard responded calmly, "and I know that you're intelligent enough to know that, and walk away with your life."

"I may be outnumbered," Catherine said with a humorless smile, "but I like to think that one enraged hexenbiest is more powerful than a _**half**_ zauberbiest and a baby Grimm."

Woging suddenly, her face morphing into the decaying mask of a hexenbiest, Nick heard Juliette scream from the couch behind him. The sound drew his attention away from Catherine for only a moment, but it was just long enough for her to attack, telepathically sending a lamp flying across the room and slamming into Renard's head, dropping him to his knees with a growl of pain. Catherine turned her attention back towards Adalind and Nick.

"So, who should I strike next, Grimm?" Catherine asked with a falsely pleasant voice lifting a vase with a flick of her hand and letting it hover in the air, "the woman you love, or your hexenbiest whore?"

"Mother, please stop this," Adalind pleaded, but Catherine paid her no heed as she waited for Nick to answer.

"Neither," Nick answered, rushing at Catherine suddenly, taking her by surprise as he hit her low, his shoulder hitting her in the abdomen as he tackled her to the ground. The vase dropped harmlessly to the ground as he pinned her hands to the floor.

"Is that all you have?" Catherine said mockingly, breaking her hands free and throwing Nick across the room. She jumped quickly to her feet and Renard, who had recovered from the hit to his head, woged and ran toward her, knocking her back against the wall, his hands wrapping around her neck. Catherine gave a flick of her wrist and Juliette was suddenly lifted, suspended in air, her hands going to her neck as she appeared to struggle to breath.

"Let me go if you want her to live," Catherine hissed at Sean, who growled and dropped his hands.

"That's the first smart thing you've done," Catherine said with a small smile, before flinging Juliette across the room like a rag doll, knocking her unconscious as she landed hard on the ground.

"Juliette!" Nick cried, and ran to her side, crouching down to check to see if she was alive.

"See how much he loves her, Adalind?" Catherine asked cruelly, "See how incredibly stupid you've been."

"What kind of mother are you?" Adalind retorted, suddenly running at her mother, but Catherine easily stopped her, using her power to pin Adalind against the nearest wall. Nick quickly stood up, moving towards Adalind, but Catherine's voice brought him up short.

"Not one more step, Grimm, or I snap her pretty neck," Catherine said, "or maybe I should snap Juliette's neck? Or maybe both….."

"Why are you doing this, Catherine," Renard asked, coming up to stand next to Nick," what are you trying to accomplish.

"Revenge, Sean," Catherine said through clenched teeth, "the two of you took my daughter from me. You _**killed**_ her! I want you to suffer like have."

"Your daughter's not dead," Nick replied, trying to stay calm even as he worried about Juliette and Adalind's safety, "she's right here, and you're the one that's hurting her now."

"This isn't my daughter," Catherine spit out as she flicked her gaze to Adalind, "this is some hollow shell of what my daughter once was. And the both of you are to blame!"

Adalind suddenly dropped to the floor, her mother releasing her hold and changing her focus to Nick and Renard. She threw out both her arms, and both Nick and Renard were thrown against the wall. Renard fell lifelessly to the ground, knocked out from the impact, but Nick was able to stand, pulling his gun from his holster as he stood and pointed it at Catherine.

"Do you really think it will be that easy, Grimm?" Catherine shook her head and flicked her wrist. Nick felt his arm turn of its own volition, realizing too late Catherine's intentions.

"You've already killed her spirit," Catherine said, her voice eerily calm, "you might as well kill her physically, as well."

"Get out of here Adalind," Nick yelled, but Catherine laughed.

"It's too late for that, Grimm," Catherine said, using her other hand to hold Adalind in place, "It's too late for all of us."

Nick felt his finger on the trigger, and his eyes met Adalind's and his voice pleaded with her to understand, "I can't stop it."

"I know," Adalind replied, calm acceptance in her voice, as if she always expected things to turn out this way.

Nick suddenly caught a flash of black behind him, and he felt a rush of relief as he realized it was his mother, emerging from her hiding place. His relief was short lived as he felt his finger press down on the trigger at the same moment his mother tackled Catherine, her control on both Adalind and Nick broken. The sound of the gun shot echoed in his ears, and the world seemed to slow down for a moment. Having control of himself again, he ran to where Adalind had fallen to the ground, unconscious. He kneeled next to her, looking her over, searching for where the bullet may have hit her. He saw a trace of blood on her forehead and realized with relief that the bullet had merely grazed her. Once he assured himself that there was no further damage, his relief turned to anger and he turned his gaze to where his mother and Catherine were fighting. He noticed that his mother stayed close to Catherine, not allowing her to get the distance needed to be able to use her telekinesis on Kelly. He felt uncomfortable not joining the fight, but he knew that his presence was unnecessary, and most likely, unwelcome.

His mother moved quickly, gripping Catherine by the shoulders and thrusting her against, and then through, the dining room window, glass shattering and scattering on the floor. He noticed that Catherine had stopped fighting, and instead was sliding down the wall and onto the floor. His mother stood and backed away, looking slightly bewildered. Nick realized that a large piece of glass from the window was protruding from Catherine's side.

Catherine's eyes shifted to Nick, and even as the life slipped away from her, she gave him a condescending smile.

"You're a fool to trust Sean," she said, her words barely a whisper, "he orchestrated all of this. He will be the death of you….of all of you."

With those words, Catherine closed her eyes, her lifeless body slumping further to the floor. The silence in the room hung for a few moments before his mother turned to him, her mouth set in a grim line.

%%%%%

Monroe paced the living room once more and looked at Rosalee when he heard her sigh.

"I mean, we haven't heard from them, and we should have heard from them, right?" Monroe said to her nervously wringing his hands, "and no one is answering their phone, so that has to be another bad sign…..I mean, a really bad sign."

"Or they're just….busy," Rosalee said with a smile and shrug. She stood and put her arms around him, and he breathed deeply, his nerves immediately calming.

"I just worry about him, you know," Monroe said sheepishly, "I kinda feel responsible for him, having kinda sorta initiating him into this world. I don't make friends easily, and he….."

"I know," Rosalee said, her voice low and reassuring, "and if you're that worried about it, why don't we just swing by his house, see what we can find out."

"Yeah," Monroe agreed, nodding his head eagerly, "that would help. Just promise me you won't tell him how worried I was?"

"Deal," Rosalee replied with a smile, pulling away from and grabbing her jacket and keys.

"You're…..awesome," Monroe said, an appreciative smile on his face.

"I know," Rosalee said with a laugh, "now let's get going before I change my mind and keep you home and all to myself."

%%%%%

Adalind came too slowly, a searing pain in her head. She put her head in her hands, and groaned as the room swam around her.

"What happened?" she mumbled, lifting her head slightly and surveying the room around her through half opened eyes. Her eyes swept the scene, and it took her a moment to process what was happening around her. Nick was crouched next to her, a concerned look on his face. Both Sean and Juliette were on the ground, unconscious, but seemed to have no other physical signs that they had been injured. Her gaze shifted back to Nick.

"Are they okay?" she asked, nodding toward Sean and Juliette.

"Yeah, I think so," Nick said, and she detected hesitation in his voice as his eyes shifted uncomfortably to something behind them. With a frown, she turned slightly, wincing once more at the pain in her head.

"Adalind…..," Nick's voice trailed off as she continued to try and focus on the scene in front of her, "they were fighting, and the glass broke, and…"

Adalind's vision tunneled, her wide eyes focused only on the lifeless body of her mother. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as she stood, wobbled slightly, and walked over to her, the sounds around her muffled and almost unintelligible. She could hear Nick's voice call to her, but it seemed so far away.

She knelt next to her mother and looked down at her - the mother who had called her stupid, who had slapped her, thrown her out of her house….and not ten minutes ago had called her a whore. But still, it was her mother, and she felt herself start to sob, even as she couldn't even consciously recognize that was happening.

She felt strong arms wrap around her, and she clung to them as she cried. All the fear and regret spilling out in great waves of grief. She wasn't sure how long she cried...it could have been minutes, or hours, but she took a deep breath steadying herself before looking up at Nick, flinching slightly at the pity she saw reflected in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Adalind said, pushing away slightly and crossing her arms across her chest in a subconsciously defensive motion. It still pained her to show too much vulnerability. She had been raised to be strong. Her mother would have hated how she was reacting, and how she let a Grimm be the one that comforted her…..

"I didn't mean to kill her," Adalind heard Kelly say dismissively before adding, "although that is the usual outcome in a fight between a Grimm and a hexenbiest."

"Mom, please…." Nick's voice held a hint of warning, and while Adalind had started to pull away from him, Nick seemed reluctant to let her go.

"She was trying to use her powers to have you kill Adalind," Kelly said defensively, "what was I supposed to do?"

Neither one of them had an answer for that, and the silence hung in the room for a few minutes before the front door suddenly opened, and Monroe and Rosalee suddenly rushed in, looks of concern on their faces.

"Oh my God," Monroe said, taking in the carnage, "What the hell happened here?"

"Well….Renard got his hands on the potion and brought it here. Adalind was able to deactivate the potion, and Juliette woke up," Nick replied, then added with a sigh, "and then all hell broke loose. Catherine showed up here, in a rage. She attacked Juliette, Renard, Adalind….."

All eyes in the room shifted to Catherine's body on the floor.

"And then my mother joined the fight," Nick said by way of explanation, and Monroe nodded.

"Well, that makes sense, I suppose," Monroe replied slowly, obviously still processing the scene around him.

"I'm going to check on them," Rosalee said, gesturing with her hands toward where Renard and Juliette were still laying on the ground.

"You should go help Rosalee and Monroe," Adalind said to Nick, but her eyes shifted back to her mother. She wasn't exactly sure what to do now. It wasn't like they could just call the cops and have it taken care of in any kind of legitimate matter.

"Renard will know what to do," Adalind said abruptly, and Nick looked at her questioningly, so she added, "about my mother….about her body."

"Adalind, you don't have to worry about that…," Nick started to say, but she shook her head.

"Yes, I do," Adalind said firmly, "she may have been a terrible mother, but she was the only one I had."

The next hour passed in a blur of activity. Sean was the first to regain consciousness, and as Adalind had predicted, knew exactly who to call to take care of their dead hexenbiest problem. Adalind barely had time to process that her mother was dead before she was carted away in an unmarked, windowless van. She had questioned Sean about the trustworthiness of his men, but he swore that they wouldn't do anything untoward to her mother's body - Adalind knew how valuable dead hexenbiest parts could be on the wesen black market. Sean assured her they were loyal to him, and would take all do care with securing a location for burial. While it would be an unmarked grave, in this case, it was likely best that no one know where Catherine had been laid to rest.

While Adalind had been busy with Sean and her mother, she assumed Nick had been spending his time with Juliette, Rosalee and Monroe, trying with varying degrees of success to help her accept what had happened to her. Part of her wanted to try and help, but she was more than certain that Juliette would want no part of it. Her mother had been the one to put her under the spell in the first place, so it was unlikely Juliette would trust her. From the angry sounds she heard coming from the other room, she wasn't sure Juliette was trusting anyone right now.

"So, this didn't exactly go as plan, did it," Adalind said, forcing a small smile on her face as she looked at Sean. They were standing in the kitchen, out of sight of the others, though they could still hear murmurs of conversation.

"No, I suppose not," Sean sad gravely, "but one way or another, it seems we're all in this together now. You better get used to the idea."

Adalind watched him slip out the back door, unnoticed by the rest of the occupants of the house. Just as well, Adalind thought. They had enough going on with out Sean adding his two cents to the mix. Adalind chewed her bottom lip nervously, unsure what she should do. Her eyes darted to the back stairs that led upstairs, where she could be alone, away from all the craziness that had been wrought by Sean's schemes. She was about to make her escape when Rosalee came around the corner, a concerned smile on her face.

"You doing okay?," Rosalee asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know," Adalind answered honestly, shaking her head, "so much has happened….. _ **is**_ happening, and it's just….it just feels like too much right now."

"It's okay to be overwhelmed right now," Rosalee replied in a soothing voice.

"I don't think I can stay here….not after everything that happened," Adalind started to pace, wringing her hands nervously, "and I don't think I can face Nick's mother again. I know she stopped my mother from killing me, and likely Nick, too, but she still _**killed**_ my mother, ya know?"

"That's fair," Rosalee said gently, but Adalind wasn't finished.

"And then there is Sean," Adalind shook her head at the thought, "he's always going to be around, keeping one eye over Nick's shoulder all the time. And mine, too, if I stay in Portland…."

"Adalind...I think you might be panicking…" Rosalee tried to get her to sit, but Adalind kept pacing, her thoughts becoming more frantic.

"And I lost my job! I don't even have a job!" Adalind's voice was getting louder, and Rosalee grabbed her by the shoulders and propelled her to a nearby chair.

"Let's just take this one thing at a time okay?" Rosalee said calmly, and Adalind nodded, "why don't you stay with us tonight….at Monroe's house."

"Okay, yeah, I think that would be good," Adalind felt herself calm slightly.

"Good, why don't you go pack a bag, and I'll let Monroe and Nick know what's going, okay?" Rosalee said, and Adalind nodded numbly, "Do you need any help?"

"No, you go ahead and talk to Nick," Adalind replied with a shake of her head, "Thanks, Rosalee….you're a great friend."

Adalind walked slowly upstairs, her life more uncertain than it had ever been before. Even losing her hexenbiest hadn't left her feeling this adrift. The only thing she was certain of was she needed some time and space to think about where she should go from here.

%%%%%

Nick was trying to do the right thing. He knew that Adalind was dealing with all the details of moving her mother's body. She had assured him that Renard would know what to do, and she had been right. He had taken over with a cool efficiency that he could see soothed Adalind. While she knew better than to trust him, she also knew that he had the connections needed to take care of the situation. He hadn't liked leaving her to Renard, but she was adamant that he needed to help Juliette come to terms with what she had been told. Again, she was right. Juliette was a mess. And his face was the only familiar one in this new world, and she was clinging to that last shred of her old reality as tightly as possible. If he was honest, it was similar to how he had held onto her as his last link to his old life.

Juliette thought she was going crazy, but he had spent the better part of the last hour gently telling her, in as broad of terms as possible, about the wesen world. He had asked Rosalee to woge for Juliette, and she had thankfully agreed. He didn't think Juliette would have been able to handle a full on blutbad for her first woge. Now Juliette seemed to be in the acceptance phase - she was a trained veterinarian, after all, and once presented with the evidence, she couldn't deny the existence of wesen.

Then the acceptance had turned to anger - anger at him for lying to her and not trusting her to understand his new life. Angry that he had left her instead of telling her the truth. And that's where they were when Rosalee decided to take a break and see how Adalind was doing. He was grateful to her for checking on her. He would have prefered to have done it himself, but his sense of duty kept him where he was, although he could guarantee that it wouldn't be for much longer.

"Look, Juliette," Nick started, running an aggravated hand through his hair, "I'm sorry that you found out like this. Honestly, I am sorry that you found at all. But the good news is you don't have to do anything with that knowledge. There is no reason you can't just go on with your life as you have been."

"You really think it's that easy?" Juliette said, her expression shifting from anger to sadness, "I know too much, Nick. I can't unsee what I have seen. I'm a part of this now."

No, you aren't," Nick said emphatically, "there is no reason for you to involve yourself in this."

"But don't you see," Juliette suddenly smiled, "now that I know, we can be together. I _**know**_ everything. We have no more secrets. We can be a team again."

"I don't think that's possible," Nick said gently, "too much has happened. Too many things have changed who I am, and it's not fair to either one of us to try and go back to what we had."

"Nick, can I talk to you for a minute," he heard Rosalee say behind him, and he abruptly stood up, glad for the interruption to the uncomfortable conversation.

"What's up?" he asked quietly, meeting her in the doorway to the kitchen.

"I'm going to take Adalind back to our place," Rosalee replied.

"What? Why?" Nick asked, confusion evident on his face.

"Really, Nick?" Rosalee said with a small laugh, "you do realize that her mother was killed in your dining room right? After her mother tried to kill her?"

"Oh," Nick replied, understanding dawning, "yeah, well, that makes sense."

He looked back awkwardly at Juliette and wondered how he was going to extract himself from that particular situation.

"Do what you need to do here," Rosalee said meaningfully, "Adalind will understand."

Nick sighed with frustration.

"I hope you're right."

%%%%%

Adalind snuggled down under the soft, warm quilt that Rosalee had tucked around her after giving her a steaming cup of tea.

"It will help calm you nerves," Rosalee had smiled as Adalind gratefully gulped it down, knowing full well that her friend had likely put something in the tea to help her sleep, as well.

And now Adalind felt wonderfully groggy. Unfortunately, when she closed her eyes, all she could see was her mother's lifeless body. Or Nick pointing his gun at her. Or Juliette calling her a whore….or her mother calling her a whore. Rosalee's tea was no match for her memories, and Adalind sighed as she tried to push the unwelcome thoughts away.

Laying with her eyes open, she stared at the ceiling, contemplating her next move. In reality, she had nothing to tie her to Portland now - no family, no job. Maybe it would be better to go somewhere nobody knew her, where she could start a new life, as a human, with none of the baggage that Portland had…..

There was just one problem with that, and it was a big one. Adalind was convinced that she was falling in love with Nick, that is, if she wasn't already. But she was also convinced that before she could fully commit to the idea of love...falling in love, being in love, being loved….she needed some space to figure out who she was. How could she expect Nick to love her when she wasn't even sure who she was anymore?

She played idly with the corner of the homemade quilt and she was suddenly hit with the memory of the quilt that she had found at her mother's house earlier that day. The one that her grandmother had made for her when she was living with her grandparents. Their farm had been the last place she was allowed to just be who she was, with no expectations put on her for what her powers could do for others.

In that moment of clarity, she knew where she needed to go, and who she needed to be with. A moment later, she was asleep, a small smile on her face.

%%%%%

Nick hesitated in the doorway of Monroe's guest room. Rosalee had told him that she had given Adalind something to help her sleep, but he was still somewhat surprised to see her sleeping so peacefully, her face relaxed into a contented smile. After the trauma of the evening, he had thought he would find her unable to sleep, at best, and hysterical, at worst.

Juliette had wanted him to stay with her, but he had ultimately turned her over to the care of his mother. He was somewhat unnerved by the calculating look on Juliette's face when he had introduced them, but he didn't have time to worry about her state of mind. His concern was with Adalind, and he had been unwilling to continue putting off going to her.

He took off his jacket and dropped it on the chair in the corner of the room, then quietly laid down next to Adalind, moving slowly so that he didn't wake her. She shifted slightly towards him as the mattress dipped under his weight, and she opened her eyes slightly.

"You're here," she whispered, her voice groggy and a sleepy smile on her face.

"Just couldn't keep myself away," Nick replied quietly, planting a light kiss on her cheek, "go back to sleep. I just wanted to be with you. Make sure that you were okay…."

"That's so sweet," Adalind yawned, snuggling closer to him, "but Nick, I think we need to talk about what happened…."

"Tomorrow is soon enough for that," he puller her close, tucking her head under his chin, "For now, just let me hold you. Sleep, Adalind."

The words were barely out before he heard her breathing become deeper, assuring him that she had slipped back into peaceful sleep. He could only hope that he would soon follow.

%%%%%

Adalind woke up still tucked up next to Nick, the steady rise and fall of his chest indicating that he was still asleep. She took a moment to watch him, before sighing and carefully pulling away from him. She found the robe that Rosalee had given her the previous evening and put it on, taking one last look at Nick before slipping soundlessly from the room. She made her way downstairs, and found Rosalee already awake and making coffee.

"You're a lifesaver," Adalind said, taking the offered cup from Rosalee's hand.

"I figured you would need it," Rosalee said with a smile, "Nick still asleep?"

Adalind nodded, "Monroe?"

"Yup, so it's just us girls for now," Rosalee responded, sitting down at the kitchen table, "Want to talk?"

"I think so," Adalind said slowly, unsure where to start, "remember a couple weeks ago, we went to lunch and we talked about how it helped you move on from your old life when you moved away and came to Portland?"

"Yes," Rosalee said slowly, and Adalind knew that the other woman already could see where this conversation was going.

"I'm thinking of going to stay with my grandparents for a little while," Adalind got the words out quickly, "I just think I need some time to think. My grandparents are the only people who ever let me be….normal. I think they could really help me find myself again."

Rosalee nodded, thinking about what she had said, before replying, "I think you need to do what's best for you. And while I'll miss you, I can understand why you need to get away from all of this for awhile."

"It just seems impossible to figure out who I am with all this other drama happening around me," Adalind sighed, "but there is one problem…."

Rosalee nodded in understanding, "Nick."

"Exactly," Adalind replied, "He kinda complicated things."

"Men tend to do that, don't they," Rosalee responded with a sympathetic smile before continuing, "He'll understand that you need some time, Adalind. All of this happened so quickly for both of you, and he cares enough about you to want what's best for you, and if what's best for you is leaving Portland for awhile, I think it will be okay."

"You're leaving Portland?" they both turned at the sound of Nick's voice, and Adalind cringed. This had not been the way she wanted to broach the subject with him.

"I'm going to leave you two alone," Rosalee stood and quickly made her escape up the stairs.

"Want me to get you some coffee?" Adalind asked awkwardly, starting to stand. He put a hand out, stopping her, and shook his head.

"No, I can manage," Nick replied, his face unreadable, "are you really thinking of leaving Portland?"

"Well, I have to go tell my grandparents about my mother's….death," Adalind stumbled over the word and then took a deep breath, "and I thought maybe I would stay there for awhile, try and get my bearings."

"And you can't do that here?" Nick asked, and she thought she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes.

"Not with all this baggage," Adalind answered honestly, "I can't be who I need to be with my past constantly in my face….Sean, my mother, Hank, Juliette….even you. I'm afraid there will always be a part of you that sees me as the hexenbiest that I was, not the woman that I am trying to become."

"Adalind, you know that's not true," He sat down next to her, "I know how hard you've been trying."

"I know," Adalind said sadly, "but I need to know that I'm trying to be better for myself, and not just for you."

Nick sat back in his chair with a resigned sigh, "How long would you stay with them?"

"I'm not sure," Adalind replied, "but I have to do this, I have to prove to myself that I'm the person that I think I am, that I can be someone that deserves you….that deserves us."

She could see that her words had taken him aback, but he seemed to finally understand as he started to nod, a sad smile on his face.

"When do you leave?" Nick asked, taking her hand in his.

"Today."


	18. Chapter 18

Sorry for the day late - same excuses as always (work, family, holiday, etc.)!

Thank you for your comments on the last chapter - I was a bit afraid of the reaction to Adalind's announcement, but I am glad that it was pretty much positive. It was my plan from the beginning to have Adalind leave, at least for a little while, although I admit that I originally thought it would happen much earlier in the story. I always wanted Adalind's redemption to be more about her than about Nick (although he is still a big part of it), so that is where the separation comes in. Anyway, thank you for sticking with me through the "angst" of separation. Believe me when I say I am a total wimp about angst, and I won't torture you for too long :)

Thanks again for the review, follows, favs! You guys are the best.

 **CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

"Today?" Nick couldn't hide his surprise. Or his dismay.

"Well, I didn't really see any reason to wait," Adalind said, her eyes darting away from his, "the longer I stay, the harder it will be for me to leave."

Nick didn't have an answer for that, and the silence hung awkwardly in the room as he considered the options. Part of him wanted to ask….no, beg, her to stay. To tell her that the last few weeks with her, even with all the drama and mayhem, had been the most at ease he had ever felt with his new life as a Grimm. That she had helped him more than he thought imaginable, and he hated the thought of not having her with him. But he knew that would be what was best _**for him**_ , not for her. And that would make him no better than Renard or her mother. She deserved some peace after everything, and he wouldn't be the one that robbed her of that chance.

"Tomorrow," Nick said suddenly, and his voice sounded emotionally raw, "can you wait until tomorrow to leave?"

Adalind looked at him once again, her clear, blue eyes bright with emotion as she looked at him, "Yes, I suppose tomorrow would be soon enough."

"I want you to know that I…." Nick hesitated, not sure how to finish the sentence, "I won't try and stop you. Not because I want you to go, but because I understand why you feel you need to do this."

"Thank you," Adalind said quietly, looking down at her cup before looking up at him again with a small smile, "it's not forever, you know. And my grandparent's farm is only a five hour drive away. Ever been to Idaho?"

"Can't say that I have," Nick said, his lips twitching into a smile.

His phone chirped and he sighed when he looked at the display.

"This is work, I have to take it," he told Adalind apologetically and she nodded as he answered, "Burkhardt."

"Nick, I wanted to let you know about a potential….problem," it was Renard, and Nick bit back a sigh. Of course there was another problem, "I would have called you in on this earlier, but I had a feeling you would be busy with other things, so I took point on this one. The case in question has been handed off to the feds either way, but I think it may be something that we'll have to deal with."

"Okay, what's up," Nick tried not to sound impatient.

"A ship docked today with several dead crew members," Renard continued, "and there was a scythe painted in blood on the wall."

"More reapers?" Nick asked wearily, and he saw Adalind's head snap up at his words.

"I think it's worse than that," Renard replied, "the ship is registered to GQR Industries, which I know to be one of several front companies that my family uses to cover some of their more….clandestine activities. In this case, I think the family has sent something far worse than reapers."

"There are things worse than reapers?" Nick asked.

"Oh yes," Renard said easily, "they are called Mauvais Dentes - and the only people powerful enough to control them are the Royals."

"Mauvais Dentes?" Nick questioned, and he turned at the sound of Adalind's gasp.

"Oh Nick…." Adalind's eyes were filled with concern.

"My brother is likely behind all of it," Renards continued, "I'll see what I can find out and get back to you. Just watch your back until I get back to you."

"I always do," Nick replied before disconnecting the call and turning back to Adalind, who was still looked worried.

"Nick, I can't leave you if…." Adalind started, but he stopped her with a sad smile.

"If what?" Nick asked her gently, "if someone is after me? If the royals are after the key? Or the coins? It's never going to stop, Adalind. You can't put your life on hold for me. I would never ask that of you."

"But Nick…."

"No buts," Nick pulled her from the chair, drawing her to him, his hands gliding into her hair, "I don't want to spend our last day together arguing."

He silenced any further objection from her by putting his mouth to hers, gently at first, and then slightly more urgently as her mouth opened underneath his, her sigh of contentment urging him on. Her hands ran up his arms, wrapping around him, holding him to her. She pulled back suddenly, and he rested his forehead against hers.

"How am I supposed to leave if you keep doing that," she asked him, her voice sounding slightly tormented.

"I'm afraid I can't promise that I will stop kissing you," Nick said, placing a kiss on her neck before continuing, "not yet, anyway."

"I suppose a few more won't kill me," Adalind replied, pulling his face back up to hers and kissing him .

%%%%%

Adalind knew that kissing Nick again, holding him, letting him touch her, would only make things harder when it came time to leave, but she just couldn't help herself. She loved the way that he made her feel, and she would need the memories to keep her warm on the cold, lonely nights on the farm.

Nick's hand went behind her neck, pulling her in closer, deepening the kiss. His other hand moved to her hip, nudging her body into his. She could feel how much he wanted her, and she smiled to herself, gratified to know that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

"Awww, geez, guys, I have to eat here," she heard Monroe's voice, and pulled away quickly. She had the grace to at least look embarrassed, but Nick just smiled smugly at his friend.

"Sorry, man, she just can't keep her hands off me," Nick shrugged, "it's a curse."

"That's not exactly how I remember things happening," Adalind replied with a smile, then added, "and please, no jokes about curses….or spells or potions."

"Too soon?" Nick asked.

"Too soon," Adalind and Monroe answered at the same time.

"I hesitate to ask, but…...what's going on today?" Monroe asked as he took a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Have you ever heard of a Mauvais Dentes?" Nick asked him, and Monroe choked on his coffee, "I guess that's a yes?"

"Yeah, I've heard of them," Monroe said with a shake of his head, "much like our friends the hundjagers, they are not to be trifled with. Don't tell me….there's one in town?"

"According to Renard," Nick said with a sigh, "he thinks his brother sent them after me and my aunt's key. Maybe after Renard, too, who knows."

"Mauvais Dentes are very crafty, they like to play a lot of cat and mouse games," Monroe replied, leaning back against the counter, "what are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Nick replied, and Monroe looked at him in surprise, "I'm going to let Renard handle it for now. He seems to know what's going on, who sent them, and where they may be from. He'll let me know when he needs me to get involved. I have other more….pressing concerns to deal with."

"More pressing than a Mauvais Dentes?" Monroe asked with a snort, "I don't think so."

"Adalind's leaving," Nick replied, his tone growing more serious, "tomorrow."

"Leaving?" Monroe's gaze shifted from Nick to Adalind, "like, _leaving_ leaving, or just leaving, like, I have to leave for a couple days, but then I'll be back leaving?"

"Somewhere in the middle of those two," Adalind answered, and Nick could sense that she had grown uncomfortable.

"She wants to see her grandparents," Nick explained, saving her from having to explain, "tell them what happened to her mother, maybe take a break from all of….this, gain a little perspective."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," Monroe answered with a nod, "I mean, _so_ much has changed in the last few weeks, sometimes it's hard to know which way is up. And you got a chance at being normal, well, as normal as a former hexenbiest can be, but still….."

"And in that spirit of being _normal_ ," Nick said, as Monroe trailed off awkwardly, "I'm going to help her get ready for the trip, like a normal couple…...of people. Just a couple of people, acting normal."

"Uh huh, just a couple…..of people," Monroe said, rolling his eyes and turning to face out the back window of the kitchen, muttering something that sound suspiciously to Nick like "what an idiot."

"I'll get ready to go," Adalind said, biting back a smile and she left the room, coffee cup in hand.

Monroe waited until Adalind was out of earshot before turning back to Nick.

"A couple...of people?" Monroe said with a snort.

"I didn't know what to say…." Nick said with an awkward shrug, then he sighed, "I didn't want to put anymore pressure on her to stay. Or to think I was trying to manipulate her by assuming we were in a….whatever this is."

"A relationship," Monroe filled in helpfully, "it's called a relationship, Nick, and it's okay to call it what it is."

"Is it?" Nick wondered out loud, "I mean, is it a relationship? We never talk about the future. We're always too busy trying not to die and….well, you know."

"Yeah, I think I know what you've been doing," Monroe answered with a snort, then grew more serious, "but dude, it's more than that, and you know it."

"I suppose it's still a bit hard to admit it...to myself or anyone else," Nick replied, "and now with my mother here, and her judgments…..it just seems to get more complicated."

"Well, then maybe the space will be good for you, too," Monroe said, "you can get your head straight with your mom...not to mention Renard and Juliette."

"God, I had almost let myself forget about Juliette," Nick said with a goran, "what the hell am I going to do about her?"

"Do you have to do anything?" Monroe asked, "I mean, I know she found out about wesen and everything, but it's not like she's going to write a tell-all book or anything. Everyone would think she is a nut."

"She thinks now that she knows what I've been hiding from her that we can be together again," Nick replied with a sigh, "she won't accept that it's more than that. If I didn't trust her enough to tell her myself, we had bigger issues than just my being a Grimm."

"I suppose she can make some trouble for you, but she'll get the point eventually, right?" Monroe responded.

"I hope so," Nick replied with a sigh.

%%%%%

"How are you feeling this morning?" Kelly asked as Juliette sat down at the table in what used to be her dining room. She looked around with a sigh.

"I don't know," Juliette answered honestly, "I mean, all of this is so...crazy. But I know that it's true. And in a weird way, it makes sense. I just knew that Nick was hiding things from me."

"I had trouble telling Nick's father at first, too," Kelly replied gently, "and it was even worse for Nick because he wasn't raised with this knowledge. He has barely had the time to process the information, much less figure out how to share it with those that he loves."

"I just don't think I am one of those people that he loves," Juliette said sadly, "at least, not anymore."

"Nick has had a lot of emotional upheaval in his life, I don't think the decisions that he is making right now are ones that he would normally make," Kelly responded thoughtfully, then continued, a bit of an edge in her voice, "I can't say that I approve of the company that he has been keeping."

"Monroe and Rosalee," Juliette nodded, then added with a catch in her voice, "and Adalind."

"Especially Adalind," Kelly replied, her eyes sharp on Juliette, "although I'm not too happy about Monroe and Rosalee, either. It's not normal for our kind to associate in that way, with wesen."

"What did Nick do to her? To Adalind?" Juliette hesitated slightly as she asked, "I know Adalind was a hexenbiest, and now she's not, but how did that happen?"

"Nick tricked Adalind into ingesting some of his blood," Kelly replied, "that killed her hexenbiest spirit. Unfortunately, it also created a blood bond between the two of them, connecting them in some way that even I can't explain."

"So it's hopeless," Juliette said flatly, "I can't complete with some otherworldly spiritual connection."

"These connections aren't always positive," Kelly replied a bit snidely, "her true self will show through eventually, and then he won't be able to deny that he was blinded by the little witch."

Kelly forced herself to smile at Juliette, and continued, "and we'll be there to help him see the truth, won't we?"

%%%%%

Adalind stood in her living room and looked around, hands on hips. There was nothing in her home that she wanted to take to the farm with her - nothing she would need. She imagined that her room would be the same. At least, she hoped it was. She hadn't talked to her grandparents in over a year, her mother and Renard's plans seemingly taking over all aspects of her life. For the first time, she felt trepidation at the thought of returning to the farm. What if they didn't want to see her?

"I guess you didn't really need help packing, did you?" Nick said with a small smile.

"I suppose not, but I appreciate you being here," Adalind replied, then she cocked her head and looked at him thoughtfully, "although it's odd…..you're the only reason I can think of to stay, but at the same time, you're the one that makes me feel strong enough to leave. How do you account for that?"

"I can't," Nick said, and she thought her she detected a hint of emotion in his voice, "I can't explain any of this. I hate that you're leaving, but I want you to go because…..because I know you need to come to terms with what has happened to you, and believe me, if anyone understands that, it's me."

"You said you can't explain it, but you just did," Adalind smiled, "even though you want me to stay, you're letting me go, because it's what's best for me. You're the first person in a really long time to put me first."

Nick took a few steps towards her and pulled her tightly to him, "I am pretty great."

"Not to mention humble…." Adalind's laugh was muffled as she pressed her face to his chest.

Adalind let out a small yelp as he swung her up in his arms, walking purposefully to the hallway. He stopped suddenly and looked down at her, his brow furrowed slightly.

"What's wrong," Adalind asked, suddenly concerned at his stern expression.

"I hate to ask this, but is your room where you did the spell on Hank?" Nick asked, cringing slightly.

"No…..that was the guest room," Adalind said, wiggling out his grasp and putting her feet on the floor.

"I didn't mean to bring that up, it's just, Hank is my friend and partner….." Nick said awkwardly.

"It's okay," Adalind replied, and when he looked at her skeptically she gave him a reassuring smile, "I mean it. Follow me."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hall and opened the door to the master bedroom. The room was a stark contrast to the rest of the house, leaning more towards comfort than the contemporary and modern lines that defined the rest of the living space.

"I actually never have had anyone in my bedroom," Adalind said, a bit embarrassed, "this was just my space, and I never wanted to share it with anyone. It was too intimate, too personal."

She watched Nick walk slowly around the room, glancing at the books that lined one wall, then picking up a framed photo of a smiling older couple and a small girl. He smiled at it, then looked up at her.

"Your grandparents?" he asked, and she nodded. He set the frame back down and continued his quiet perusal, his eyes lingering on a small antique jewelry box before turning and glancing at her bed. The covers had been turned back, revealing the small floral pattern on the soft, cotton sheets. Fluffy pillows were heaped on the bed, creating an aesthetic that was decidedly cozy.

"This room is….you," Nick said quietly, "not the rest of this place, with its hard, cold lines. This room represents who you are, on the inside, when no one else is looking. This is the person you've shown me. This is the person you want to be. The person you will find."

"Nick…." Adalind breathed out his name before walking quickly to him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips to his. It took only a moment for him to recover from his surprise and he quickly put his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him as he returned her kiss.

His hands tangled in her hair and he pulled his mouth from hers, pressing it instead to the sensitive skin behind her ear.

"You'll find what you need to, and then you will come back to me," Nick whispered against her ear, before biting down gently, Adalind moaning in response, "because you are mine."

He put his mouth on hers once more, his kiss suddenly wild and possessive in its urgency. He pulled back suddenly, nibbling slightly on her lower lip before sliding his gaze up to her.

"And I am yours," he said solemnly.

Adalind sucked in a breath at his words, desire curling low and hot in her belly at his words. He must have seen it reflected in her eyes, as his suddenly were alight with something primal. He made a sound that seemed akin to a growl as his mouth once again took possession of hers, his own passion feeding hers, making her feel wild and wanton.

They moved easily through the now familiar dance of removing each others clothes, her fingers easily working the buttons of his shirt, pushing it over his shoulders and onto the floor. Their kiss broke only for Nick to whip her shirt over her head, his hands guiding her mouth back to his. She barely registered that he had started to back them up to her bed until she felt herself tumbling, physically and emotionally, onto the plush blankets. He stopped then and looked at her, and she gave him a slow, seductive smile, allowing him to look his fill before sitting up and tugging on his belt, pulling it loose while simultaneously drawing him closer.

Adalind watched as he stepped out of his jeans, throwing them carelessly on the floor. His eyes held hers, the possessive fire still within them, and she held her breath as he brought his mouth to her inner thigh, letting his teeth drag lightly against the sensitive skin before kissing lightly, and working his way upward. He continued this way up her thigh until he came close to where her legs joined, then he abruptly stopped, Adalind giving a cry of protest.

"Let me give you something to remember on those cold, lonely nights," he said with a wicked grin, before ducking his head down once more.

%%%%%

Adalind had drifted off to sleep, and Nick smiled softly down at her peaceful profile, her mouth curled into the same satisfied smile he had put on her face earlier. While he watched her, he wondered if he should mention the prophecy that his mother had found the day before. He was afraid that she would think he was trying to manipulate her into staying in Portland. And the truth was he wasn't sure if he really believed that it was a prophecy at all.

He had to admit, however, that her announcement that she was leaving had unleashed something in him, something that demanded that he claim her, demand that she be his alone. It was something primal that he had not known that he had within him. It was likely the Grimm side of him - he had been told enough times that the wesen world was more primal in nature. He could only assume it was some manifestation of that, likely combined with whatever blood bond he had created when he had taken Adalind's power; although, he didn't care for the idea that what was building between them was the result of supernatural forces as opposed to genuine affection.

"What has you frowning like that?" Adalind's voice broke through his thoughts, and he looked down at her with a small smile.

"Just thinking about all the random events that came together to bring us to this moment," Nick answered, and as she looked at him with those trusting eyes, he knew that he should tell her what his mother had read in the book. It probably meant nothing, but he still felt uncomfortable not sharing it with her.

"My mother found what she called a 'prophecy' when we were looking through the grimm books for a way to break the spell on Juliette," Nick began, and Adalind looked at him in interest, sitting up slightly, "it was about a grimm…...and a hexenbiest."

"Well, you have my attention," Adalind was sitting up straight now, her eyes lighting up slightly.

"It was just a short passage," Nick said, trying to temper her expectations, "and I don't really know what it means, if anything."

"Everything means something," Adalind said with an air of superiority, "especially if someone thought it was important enough to put in grimm book. So spill it. What did it say?"

"A Grimm found a hexenbiest in a cabin deep in a forest. I think it was around the time of the Salem witch trials," Nick started, and he saw Adalind shutter.

"Sorry, that's just a sensitive subject in our circles," Adalind explained, "and part of the reason that hexenbiests, and zauberbiests, feel compelled to be in positions of power. Nobody wants a return of those types of trials. But please, go on, what happened when he found her."

"She invited him into her home, and when he told her he was there looking for witches for the trial, she woged and identified him as a Grimm. She ended up enchanting and then kissing him, but then cast him out of her house, saying he wasn't meant for her, but one day, a Grimm and a hexenbiest would find each other and fall in love, making her more powerful than ever, but the darkness would be balanced by the light of the Grimm, and together they would bring an end to the ancient hatreds. Or something like that."

"Wow," Adalind said, sitting back on her pillow, "that's pretty interesting stuff. Although, not particularly relevant to us, since I'm _**not**_ a hexenbiest."

"Yeah, I know," Nick replied, "that's what I thought, too, but then I remembered what you told me about Henrietta, and how she thought that we should stay close to each other and learn to trust each other. I don't know, you're probably right, it probably doesn't mean anything."

He shrugged, but Adalind looked at him thoughtfully.

"She did say that, didn't she," Adalind replied, "and she was very cryptic about the whole thing. Maybe I'll talk to my grandmother about it when I am at the farm. She was kind of a big deal, back in her hexenbiest days."

"Oh yeah?" Nick responded, absently playing with a lock of her hair as she continued.

"My mother's line is descended from a fairly powerful and ancient coven known for the abilities in making spells," Adalind gave him an ironic smile, "and you've had some experience with those spells."

"I have," Nick said with a wince, before pulling her closer, "but enough talk about prophecies and ancient covens. How about we order dinner in? Know anyone that will deliver to the bedroom?"

"Actually," Adalind said, a bit shyly, "I was hoping maybe we could see if Monroe and Rosalee wanted to have dinner. They've been so nice to me, and I would really like the opportunity to say goodbye."

"Of course," Nick agreed readily, although he was reluctant to share her on her last night in Portland….or to let her out of the bed, "Let me call them and see if they are available."

Nick sat up and looked at the scattered clothes on the floor, his brow furrowing as he wondered where he had left his phone.

"It's in your jacket pocket," Adalind reminded him, and he smiled at her in thanks before getting out of bed and pulling on his jeans. He made his way to Adalind's living room where he had left his jacket on the couch, and fished his phone out of the front pocket. He sighed as he noticed he had several text messages, including multiple from his mother, wondering where he was. He quickly typed out that he was with Adalind, and that she shouldn't expect him home until sometime tomorrow, then headed back to the bedroom, where Adalind was sitting up, a sheet barely clinging to her. She gave him a long look up and down, and started to smile.

"What?" he asked, feeling suddenly self conscious.

"Nothing," she replied, but her breathy tone and the seductive glint in her eyes told a different story.

"You keep looking at me like that, and the pants are coming` off," Nick said in mock reproof, and she just smiled.

"I was just thinking about that shower we didn't get to finish the other night…." before she could finish the statement, Nick had scooped her up and started carrying her to the bathroom.

"I suppose dinner can wait for a little bit," Adalind said with a laugh as he deposited her in the large shower.

"It might be a little longer than that," Nick said with a sly smile, "I plan on taking my time."

%%%%%

Kelly gave an irritated sigh as she looked at the text from Nick. The little witch seemed to have her claws in deep, so Kelly would have to tread carefully with trying to separate the two of them. It didn't matter that she was no longer a hexenbiest - she was born and bred by one.

"Did you hear from Nick yet?" Juliette asked, clasping her hands uncomfortably.

"He's working," Kelly lied, "probably won't be home until tomorrow."

"Oh, must be a tough case," Juliette replied softly, and Kelly knew she wasn't convinced, "I'm just going to go home. There is no point in me just sitting here, waiting for him to come home. He'll just want me to leave."

Kelly sighed, knowing that it was likely true. She had to think of way to make Nick see that Juliette was a better match for him than Adalind. She tried to think of others who would be willing to help her with her goal, but inexplicably, none of the people in Nick's life seemed to object to his infatuation with the Adalind. Her thoughts wandered to the night she had killed Catherine. She frowned as she remembered there had been another man there, Nick' boss, Sean Renard. What was his place in all of this madness?

"What do you know about Nick's boss, this Captain Renard?" Kelly asked, and Juliette blinked at the sudden change in topic.

"Not much," Juliette replied, "I've only meant him in passing a few times. But when I was under the spell, and found out about all the things that had been happening to Nick, his name did come up. Apparently he is the royal in Portland."

"Is that so," Kelly said thoughtfully. So Nick's boss was also the royal. The royal that was trying to control him, the royal that sent Adalind after Marie. The royal that kicked Adalind to the curb when she was no longer useful. And if she knew the royals, and she did, he would hate that Adalind now had influence over Nick.

Perhaps she just found an unlikely ally…

%%%%%

"Sorry we're late," Adalind said as they sat down at the table across from Monroe and Rosalee, her hair still slightly damp at the edges from their impromptu shower.

"No problem, we've only been here a couple minutes," Rosalee said with a knowing smile.

"I'm starving," Nick said looking at the menu.

"Well, you are in for a treat," Monroe said with enthusiasm, "this place has great vegan options, and the wine selection is amazing."

"How's the steak?" Nick asked with a slight grin, and Monroe just shook his head. After they had ordered, Monroe poured out four glasses of wine and they settled into comfortable conversation. Adalind felt a pang of regret as she looked at the only people she could honestly call friends. She hoped that in leaving she didn't cause the ties that they had created to be broken.

"Have you heard anymore about the Mauvais Dentes?" Rosalee asked after their food had been served.

"Not yet," Nick replied, taking a bite before continuing, "haven't heard from Renard all day. It's been great."

"What about your mom and Juliette?" Monroe asked carefully, "any word on that?"

"Nope," Nick said, taking another bite, "and that's been great, too. I could really get on board with this not knowing anything."

"I remember those days fondly," Monroe said with a wistful smile.

"I think I'll miss it," Adalind said suddenly, and they all looked at her, "just being a part of everything, not necessarily the parts where people want us dead, but the comradery part."

"We'll miss you, too," Rosalee said with a sad smile, "Especially me. I don't really have any other female friends. Now you're leaving me alone with these two guys."

"Well, at least I know you are in good hands," Aalind replied sadly, looking at Nick out of the corner of her eye. Nick took her hand and kissed it.

"We'll be right here when you get back," Nick gave her a reassuring smile and Adalind reached beyond her trepidation to return the smile.

"I hope you're right."


	19. Chapter 19

Seems like I am always apologizing for being late - the kiddo got strep for Thanksgiving, so I didn't have a lot of time to myself this past week! Anyway, the next few weeks _**should**_ be drama free, but you never know :)

I just wanted to note that I am not really trying to turn Kelly into a bad guy - I think she really believes that she is doing what is best for Nick, but at some point, she will have to accept the choices he makes...I think she will respect him more for it in the end.

Thank you again for the reviews and faves and follows - this story is taking more turns than I originally planned, so thanks for taking the ride with me. There is a lot more in store for our couple!

Enjoy!

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN**

Adalind pulled up to her grandparent's farm and turned off the car. She sat, unmoving, in her seat, suddenly apprehensive of the move she had made. Everything looked the same - the large, white farmhouse was well-maintained, the flowers out front neat and weed free. Looking down at her watch, she realized that it was lunch time, and wondered if they were inside, just sitting down to a hearty meal. She wondered if her grandfather still went into the fields everyday, helping the farm hands tend to the animals and crops. If her grandmother still baked fresh cookies for the workers to take home to their families every friday. Adalind drew a deep breath, and stepped out of her car, the gravel driveway crunching under the heels of her boots.

When she reached the front door, her arm felt almost heavy as she raised it to knock, her stomach swimming nervously. She forced herself to knock, and then took a step back, waiting for the door to open, which it did, a moment later.

The woman that opened the door was as familiar to her as her own reflection. Although her grandmother had to be in her seventies, she still looked just as she had when Adalind had been a girl. She supposed the one good thing about being a hexenbiest was their anti-aging abilities. That was one thing she would miss.

"Adalind?" her grandmother said, as if she could barely believe it. Then her face broke into the wide, familiar smile, and Adalind felt herself be drawn into a tight hug, "our sweet girl! We've missed you so much."

Adalind felt her uncertainty melt away as she let herself relax in the warmth of her grandmother's hug. She returned the hug, then felt her grandmother pull away,cupping Adalind's face in her hands.

"I'm so happy to see you," then there was a narrowing of her eyes, and Adalind knew that her grandmother hadn't lost the shrewdness that hexenbiest's were known for, "something is wrong. And something about you is different."

Adalind squirmed under her grandmother's intense gaze, but she stood still, letting her assess the situation.

"I have a lot to tell you," Adalind said with a small smile, and her grandmother met her eyes, the intensity leaving them, warmth taking its place.

"Of course you do, dear," came the reply, "come in, and let's sit and chat. Your grandfather is in the kitchen having lunch. You must be hungry after that long drive."

"Well, now that you mention it…." Adalind said with a smile, already tasting her grandmother's phenomenal cooking. She followed her grandmother into the large, but cozy, kitchen. Again, Adalind was struck with the familiarity of it all, and felt a sense of calm come over her.

"Who was at the door, dear," she heard her grandfather say before he looked up, his eyes widening as he saw her, "Addy, is that you?"

He jumped up with an energy that belied his years. Where her grandmother had barely aged, Adalind felt a lump in her throat as she noted that her grandfather had grown older, his once dark hair now completely white.

"Grandpa," she said softly, and she felt herself turn into a five year old again as he folded her into his embrace. While he may be older, she still sensed the same strength in his arms, and she closed her eyes, letting that strength surround her. He was the only man that she had truly felt safe with….well, until Nick, but she didn't want to start thinking about him quite yet or she would find herself on her way back to Portland before she had even told her grandparents everything that had happened to her…..and to her mother.

She let them fuss of her for a few minutes, getting her a plate piled high with homemade fried chicken, biscuits and green beans. She had to smile as she recalled how hearty the meals on the farm were. Once they were settled, she saw her grandparents share an uncomfortable glance before turning their full attention to her.

"Not that we aren't happy to see you, dear," her grandmother started, "but why are you here?"

Adalind sighed and put down her fork, "I suppose there is no easy way to say this, but…..mom is dead."

Her grandmother's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp. Her grandfather closed his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath and opening them, putting one hand on her grandmother's, and the other on Adalind's arm.

"What happened," he asked, and Adalind sat back, sighing as she realized she hadn't thought through exactly how to explain the entirety of her situation. A five hour car drive, and it hadn't occurred to her to think about how to tell her grandparents that their daughter was dead.

"Well, the immediate cause was a Grimm," Adalind said carefully, and she heard her grandmother gasp, "but, believe it or not, the Grimm was actually stopping her from killing me."

"What? How….why?" Adalind could see that her grandmother was struggling, so she realized that she would have to tell them the entire story…..Sean, her mother, Hank, Nick, Kelly…..everything. Their daughter was dead because of that mess, and the least she could do was tell them the truth.

"Well, it all started with the royal in Portland….."

%%%%%

Nick sighed heavily as he took a seat on his couch, his house seeming suddenly empty even as he heard someone rattling around in his kitchen. He assumed it was his mother, but couldn't manage to muster enough interest to ask. He got his answer when she walked out a moment later, a plate with eggs and toast in her hand.

"I made some breakfast….I guess it's more brunch at this point, but you get the idea," she said, awkwardly holding the plate out to him. He looked up at her and smiled. He knew she was trying, and maybe now would be a good time to start repairing his relationship with his mother. He suddenly had a lot more free time on his hands now that Adalind had gone to Idaho.

"Thanks," he replied, taking a bite, "I haven't had anything yet today."

He had spent the night with Adalind, then saw her off that morning. They had said everything they needed to say the day before, and had made their goodbyes short and sweet, trying to make the sting of separation a little less sharp. He had given her a lingering kiss, assured her that he would be there when she needed him, and sent her on her way. He had seen the reluctance in her eyes, but he pushed back his own desire for her to stay, gave her a reassuring smile and watched her drive away. Once she was out of sight, he allowed himself to frown and wonder just when he had allowed her to snake her way into his life...and quite possibly his heart.

In an effort to take his mind off his raw emotions, he went to work even though it was technically his day off. He had spent a couple hours doing mindless paperwork before realizing that he should probably check in with his mother and find out how she had handled the situation with Juliette.

"Where's Adalind?" his mother asked him, snapping him back to the present as he continued chewing.

"Idaho," Nick said. At his mother's raised eyebrow, he continued, "She wanted to tell her grandparents in person what happened to Catherine."

"Of course," his mother said, sitting next to him, "when will she be back."

Nick hesitated for a moment, knowing how his mother felt about his relationship with Adalind. He didn't really want to give her any more ammunition against her, but he wasn't going to lie about it, either.

"I don't know," Nick answered honestly.

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked, and he sighed.

"She is going to stay there for awhile, get her bearings, figure out what she wants…." Nick rattled off the explanations, knowing how it sounded, "her grandmother is a reformed hexenbiest and she thinks they can help her adjust to her new life."

"Reformed hexenbiest," Kelly said with a snort, "is their such a thing."

"Yes," Nick replied without hesitation, "her grandmother has been married to, and living with, a kehrseite for over fifty years."

"Interesting," Kelly muttered, and Nick could tell she wasn't convinced, but didn't push the issue.

"Where is Juliette?," Nick asked hesitantly.

"She went home," his mother answered, absently, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere, "I told her there was no use waiting for you when you obviously had no intention of coming home."

Nick was relieved. While he did feel responsible for what had happened to Juliette, he was reluctant to have to talk to her again when she obviously thought it was a good idea for them to resume their romantic relationship.

"I like her Nick," his mother said, and he suppressed a groan, "I think she would be good for you. Someone to help give you a stable home life. The life of a grimm is so difficult, it's important to have a strong support system."

"Which is why I have surrounded myself with people who understand this world," Nick said slowly, as if talking to a child, "and can help me understand it."

"But now she knows about this world, too, Nick," his mother pushed on, and he gave her a quelling look. She hesitated briefly, but then continued, "but she's human, and doesn't have any of the predisposed traits that certain wesen have. You can trust her. You can't trust wesen, especially blutbads….and hexenbiests."

"I can't have this conversation again," Nick replied evenly, setting his plate down on the coffee table before standing up, "thank you for breakfast, and for taking care of Juliette, but this conversation is over."

Nick picked up his discarded jacket, and headed to his bedroom, taking his phone out of his pocket as he walked up the stairs. He frowned when he noticed he had no missed calls or texts, hating himself a little bit for the feeling that coursed through him. Instead of dwelling, he tapped out a quick message to Adalind, asking for reassurance that she had made it safely to the farm, and put his phone back in his pocket.

Reaching his bedroom, he threw his jacket on the chair and sighed as he looked around. Even with his mother downstairs, he suddenly felt very alone.

%%%%%

Adalind was decidedly uncomfortable. Her grandparents were staring at her, both of their mouths gaping open as she finished her rather long winded story.

"So, a grimm stripped you of your hexenbiest spirit," her grandmother said slowly.

"And you may, or may not, be in love with that grimm," her grandfather continued.

"And the mother of that grimm is also a grimm, who killed your mother," her grandmother finished up.

"Well, to be fair, mom was trying to kill me," Adalind replied, wincing even as she said it, "look, I know this is a lot to take in, believe me, but it's also why I'm here. I need to figure this out without all that craziness."

"Craziness seems an accurate word," her grandfather said before sighing, "I hadn't seen your mother since the day she took you away from us. She never had much use for us after she started down the path of power. I had always hoped that she would be more like your grandmother."

"I am definitely the exception to a very ancient rule," her grandmother responded with a sigh, squeezing his hand reassuringly, "it took finding someone like you to change who I was."

They were all quiet for a moment and Adalind presumed that they were reflecting on the past. She knew they had loved her mother, and were likely still in shock of the news of her passing. It would take some time for them all to process the loss. Whatever she had been in the end, they still had to deal with the loss of their daughter.

"Tell us more about this grimm," her grandmother asked suddenly and Adalind looked at her in surprise.

"Well, he's nothing like what we are taught to believe about grimms," Adalind started, a small smile starting to bloom on her mouth, "he's fair and he's….kind. He tries to do what is right, and he actually prefers not killing wesen if he can help it, if you can believe that. I mean, he could have killed me, but he didn't. And he makes me laugh….."

Adalind trailed off as she noticed her grandparents looking at her with smiles of their own.

"What?" Adalind asked, feeling slightly embarrassed as they continued to smile at her.

"Your whole face lights up when you talk about him," her grandmother said gently, "I hope you're right about him being different, though. I would hate to see you hurt."

"I've been hurt plenty," Adalind said sarcastically, then said, "but Nick is so different - not just as a grimm, but different than any other guy I have ever been with. Those guys were all about position and power and what I could do for them, but with Nick, it's just about us…."

"Although, grimms are no slouches in the power department," her grandmother responded with a sly smile, "and power in and of itself isn't bad, just how we use it."

Adalind thought about that for a moment then nodded, "I suppose that's true. I hadn't really thought about it that way, but Nick really isn't interested in the power plays. He's still trying to figure everything out."

"And you've been helping him with that?" her grandfather asked skeptically.

"I have," Adalind answered, "I mean, he didn't know anything about the Royals or the Resistance."

"So he may still change, once he knows everything that is as stake," her grandmother looked thoughtful, but Adalind frowned.

"I suppose, but I don't thinks so," Adalind said, "I mean, he just isn't that type of guy."

"Power changes people, Adalind," her grandfather said, "we saw it with your mother. You saw it in yourself. Just be careful."

"I suppose," Adalind replied, still not convinced, "anyway, he's a good guy. I hope you get to meet him sometime."

"I hope so, too," her grandmother grinned, looking at her grandfather, "just imagine that, a grimm in my kitchen."

"It does take some getting used to," Adalind agreed, then pulled her buzzing phone from her pocket. She couldn't help the smile that spread spread across her face when she read Nick's message. It was short, just asking if she had made it okay, but it was gratifying to know that he cared. She quickly responded that she was there and catching up with her grandparents, and asked him to call later, when he wasn't busy. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked up, her grandparents both looking at her with knowing smiles.

"What?" she said, self consciously.

"Any man that makes you smile like that….." her grandmother said, her voice trailing off before finishing, "well, I just hope he deserves you."

"I just hope I deserve him," Adalind responded with a sigh, "so, if it is alright with you, I would like to stay for awhile while I figure it out."

"You know you can stay as long as you want," her grandmother replied with a smile, "but you coming here, taking some time to look at who you are and who you want to be…..well, I think you have it half figured out already."

%%%%%

Nick smiled as he read Adalind's message, glad that she had made the trip safely. He wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but the promise of a phone call later in the day allowed some of the coiled tension in the pit of his stomach ease. After a quick shower, he headed back downstairs, where his mother sat on the couch, reading a book. She immediately set it down when she saw him, an eager look on her face.

"Now that it's just the two of us, we have more time to catch up," she said with a hesitant smile, and while Nick couldn't share his mother's enthusiasm for Adalind's absence, he still wanted to try and make up some of the time they had lost.

"What would you like to know?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"Everything," she said wistfully, and he gave her a genuine smile. He started with the basics, telling her about his childhood with Marie, where they had lived, his favorite subjects in school, and about the first girl he kissed. He had just started telling her about going to college when he heard his phone ring. A quick glance at the display confirmed that it was a call he needed to take.

"Burkhardt," he answered.

"Detective, it's Captain Renard," confirming what his caller ID had already told him, Nick frowned at the strained tone in Renard's voice.

"What's wrong?" Nick stood suddenly, his mother looking on in concern.

"I'm on the old lumber mill out on St. Helens Road," Renard answered, pain evident in his voice.

"I know it," Nick answered, already walking to the door, "what do you need?"

"He killed the FBI agents," Renard gritted out, and Nick knew that he was referring to the mauvais dentes, "he said if you don't come, he'll kill me, too."

The line went dead, and Nick looked down at it in frustration. His mother walked up behind him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There is a mauvais dentes in town," Nick told her and she saw her eyes narrow.

"The royals?" she asked, although it was clear she already knew the answer.

Nick nodded, then continued, "He's killed two FBI agents, and now he has my Captain. He's waiting for me."

"Mauvais dentes like to draw you in," his mother said cautiously.

"Well, let's not keep him waiting," Nick said starting for the door, but his mother put his hand on his arm, stopping him. He looked at her hand, then back up at her, frowning, "He's holding my captain in that building."

"That doesn't mean he'll be there," his mother warned, "This is what he wants, for you to get close. I don't know how, but he will try to deceive you. He won't be predictable."

"I have to go with what I know," Nick said, shrugging off her hand, "and I know that he has the captain in that building. We won't be predictable either. After all, he won't be expecting two grimms, now will he."

%%%%%

Sean watched as the mauvais dente paced restlessly while he sat tied to a rickety, wooden chair. He was smart enough to know that the violent wesen could kill him at anytime, so any thoughts of escape were quickly discarded. On the other hand, if he had truly been sent by the royal family (and Sean was quite sure that he had), he was likely told to leave Sean alive. Otherwise, he would be dead already. He had outlived his usefulness the minute he had made the call to Nick. He could not, however, rule out the idea that the mauvais dentes' instructions not to kill him may have a limit. A limit Sean was not willing to test. He would just have to hold tight, wait for Nick, and hope he brought back up. Preferably another grimm.

Sean had to admit that he had been shocked when he had woken up on Nick's floor two days earlier to find that Nick's mother was live, well, and sitting in the living room. This new presence in Nick's life proved to be another interference in his plans, and quite frankly, he was not pleased. A mother, especially a mother Nick had thought dead for the last twenty five years, could prove even more influential than his aunt.

Of course, right now they had bigger problems, so Sean hoped that both grimms showed up at the warehouse to take care of this little problem. It would also send a message to his family that they needed to stop their interference in his city. And with his grimm.

"Did my father send you? Or was it my brother," Sean asked, and the mauvais dente looked at him briefly before going back to pacing.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me," Sean said in a relaxed voice which turned goading when he said, "I wouldn't want to admit that I was under their thumb, either."

Quicker than he would have thought possible, the mauvais dente had knocked his chair over and he was on his back, the man breathing in his face.

"I am under no one's thumb," the mauvais dente sneered, "the royal family just happens to pay the best rate for my special set of skills."

Sean choked back a moment of terror before replying calmly, "I'm a royal, too, you know."

"I do, a bastard royal, but a royal all the same," the mauvais dente replied, getting up, but leaving Sean helpless on his back, "and they told me to leave you alive….but they didn't say I couldn't have a little fun with you first…."

They both heard the sound of a car, and the mauvais dente looked at him and smiled.

"I guess the grimm saved you," he smiled cruelly, "let's just hope you don't accidentally get hurt in the crossfire."

%%%%%

"How are we going to do this?" Nick asked his mother while looking up at the large, abandoned building, "he told me to come alone. I don't want to risk Renards' life."

"He's worth that to you?" he mother asked, and Nick looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, it's kinda part of my job to try and make sure people don't get killed," Nick said with a hint of sarcasm, "although lately he hasn't exactly been on the list of people I would miss if he was dead."

"We'll have to talk about that later," his mother said with meaning. While he was curious about his mother's sudden interest in his captain, he pushed it aside to examine later and went back to assessing their current situation.

"So, back to the problem," Nick said, "how are we going to do this."

"You go in the front," his mother said simply, then followed up with, "I'll scale the building and come in one of those windows. Should be able to maintain the element of surprise that way."

"Sounds like a plan," Nick said, his stomach tightening with nerves and adrenalin, "I'll see you in there."

They both exited the vehicle and went their separate ways. Nick pulled his sidearm and walked slowly into the warehouse. He knew that the mauvais dente would be hiding in wait for him, so he listened closely, his keen sense of hearing picking up every sound in the abandoned building.

His senses heightened, the smell of blood filled his nose. Looking around the corner he saw two bodies, one female and one male. Noting their suits, he made the assumption that these were the FBI agents that had been working the case. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do for them. Walking past them, his eyes scanned the surrounding area, but a sudden movement from behind caught his attention. Reacting only a moment too late, he realized that one of the "dead bodies" that he had passed was actually the mauvais dentes. The white tiger-tiger like wesen quickly threw Nick to the floor before taking a swipe with his massive claws at Nick's neck. Dodging the attack, Nick rolled away, landing a kick to the mauvais dentes' chest as he did so. The mauvais dentes gave a howl of surprise before jumping easily to one of the suspended metal walkways that lined the warehouse. Out of sight for the moment, Nick reached for his gun that had fallen to the floor, and then followed the mauvais dentes into the maze of metal walkways. He carefully made his way up to the platform, turning slightly at a noise that seemed to be coming from the opposite direction. The mauvais dentes took the opportunity to lunge from hiding, knocking the gun out of Nick's hand once more, before leaping to the ground level of the building.

Nck took a deep breath and followed the mauvais dentes, his eyes searching in vain for his lost gun. Left with only his hands to defend himself, the mauvais dentes swung out at him. It was all Nick could do to defend himself from the attack, much less mount an offense, but he was able to get in a few well placed punches and kicks. However, the mauvais dentes was able to once again send him to the floor, leaving Nick vulnerable. As the man was about to attack once more, his mother came from behind, delivering a blow to the man's back and knocking him to the ground. Even with two grimms, the mauvais dentes did not go down easily, but his mother eventually getting close enough to pull a knife and hold it to the man's throat.

"There are two," the mauvais dentes said in surprise.

"Kind of a surprise to me, too," Nick replied in a flat voice.

"Who told you about my son?," Kelly said in a low voice, but the mauvais dentes just smiled.

"Nobody told me about you," the mauvais dentes answered in a belligerent voice, before attempting to turn the tables on Kelly, taking a swipe at her. Kelly yelped in pain, but drove her knife into the mauvais dentes neck.

The mauvais dentes let out an animal like howl of pain before pulling away and jumping to a higher position. Realizing his wound was fatal, the man's features turned human again, before slumping onto the floor of the metal walkway, eventually losing his balance and falling to the ground.

Kelly and Nick looked down at the body for a moment.

"Well, I guess that's that," Nick said with a sigh, then he looked around suddenly, his brow furrowed, "I need to find the captain."

He left his mother with the body of the mauvais dentes and jogged off, looking for Renard. He found him a moment later, bound to a chair, a gag in his mouth. Nick looked at him for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You know," Nick said, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I kinda like you like this. Especially the 'not being able to talk' part."

Renard glared at him, and Nick held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, okay," Nick said, his voice contrite. He made quick work of the gag and started untying the ropes around Renard's wrists.

"Is the mauvais dentes…" Renard started, and Nick nodded.

"Dead," Nick confirmed, "my mother is with him now. I assume searching his body for clues on where he came from, but I think we both know who sent him, don't we."

"My brother is not exactly returning my calls," Renard replied, rubbing his wrists where the ties had dug into them, "although a picture of his dead assassin might encourage him to pick up the phone."

The two men walked over to where his mother was searching the pockets of the dead mauvais dentes.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce you two the other night," Nick said awkwardly, wondering what had become of his life when he was offering introductions of his boss to his un-dead mother over the body of a man she had just killed, "Captain, this is my mother, Kelly Burkhardt."

"I've heard a lot about you," Renard said, holding out his hand. Kelly looked at it for a moment before standing up and taking it, giving a firm shake.

"From Nick?" Kelly asked.

"Among others," Renard answered cryptically.

"Captain is a…." Nick started, but Kelly cut him off.

"A Royal," Kelly filled in.

"I was going to say half zauberbiest," Nick replied casually, and his mother started in surprise, "but ya, a half royal, too."

At her stunned look, Nick gave a tight smile, "It's complicated."

"Seems to be a running theme," Kelly mumbled, eying Renard warily before returning to her search of the mauvais dentes.

Nick looked around the scene for a moment, realizing that he still needed to locate his gun.

"I need to find my gun before we leave," Nick said to his mother and Renard, "Can you two play nice for a few minutes."

"I'm always nice to your friends, Nick," his mother replied with sarcasm, "I just wish you would make one or two that weren't wesen. You're a grimm, for God's sake."

Nick sighed in irritation, "well, just try not to kill each other before I get back"

"I'll try," Kelly responded absently, as he walked away.

%%%%%

Sean waited until Nick was out of earshot to turn to Kelly.

"You killed this mauvais dentes," Renard said quietly, "and we have two dead FBI agents. How exactly are we going to clean up this mess."

"That's not really my problem," Kelly said snidely, "I can be in the wind in a matter of minutes if I need to be. This is your mess to clean up."

"Mine….and Nick's," Renard said, his tone vaguely threatening, "his prints are all over this place, his blood, your blood….there is a lot to link back to you, and to him."

"Are you really threatening me right now?" Kelly said menacingly, her hand going to the knife that she had sheathed at her side.

"Just making conversation," Renard said easily, then he added, "I can make all of this go away for you and for Nick fairly simply."

"But I am sure there is something you want in return," Kelly replied, her hand still lingering on her knife, "I've never known a zauberbiuest to be helpful without a price."

"It's a small thing really," Sean replied with a smile, "I just want you to leave. Portland, specifically. And don't come back, at least not for awhile."

Kelly thought for a moment about what he was asking. It had always been her plan to get the coins and take them to be destroyed. She hadn't planned on lingering in Portland. There was no place for her here, and she couldn't imagine going back to a 'normal' life after being on the run for twenty five years. She needed the freedom to roam the world, and be a grimm.

"I'll leave," Kelly answered, and almost laughed at the surprise she saw on Sean's face, "but I have something I want from you, too."

"And what is that," Sean asked, clearly suspicious.

"I would like for you to help Nick see that Juliette is the right woman for him," Kelly said, then added, "and, more specifically, that Adalind is the wrong one."

"Well, I suppose that is one area we can agree," Sean replied, "that's an easy favor to grant."

"Good," Kelly replied, her hand moving away from hir knife. She held it out to him, "so we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," Sean replied, a calculating smile on his face.

%%%%%

Adalind stood in her old room, realizing how much smaller it seemed now that she was grown. Her grandparents had left it as she had, her dolls still sitting on the shelf, a tea party set on a small table in the corner, and rows of books lining the walls. She smiled at the comfort, although she felt a bit lonely, realizing that it had been weeks since she had slept alone. She had never minded being alone at night, preferred it if she was being honest. But not anymore. Everything had changed.

It had been a long day, and at the farm, the days started early and ended early. While it was only nine, her grandparents were already in bed. She knew they would be up at dawn, so she decided to climb into bed with a good book and wait for Nick to, hopefully, call her. She knew how erratic his schedule could be, so she cautioned herself not to be disappointed if he didn't call.

She pulled out a pair of comfortable flannel pajama pants, then flushed with embarrassment as she pulled out the t-shirt that she had pilfered from Nick. It was just a simple gray shirt, but it smelled like him, and she had taken it in a moment of madness when she had been packing. It was pathetic really, but that didn't stop her from pulling it over her head before climbing into bed.

About an hour had passed when she heard the buzz of her phone and she picked it up, smiling widely when she saw that it was Nick calling.

"Hi there," she said softly when she answered.

"Hey," came the tired reply, and Adalind could already tell the kind of day he had probably had.

"That bad?" she asked.

"Well, it could have been worse," he said, his tone a bit more light hearted, "the mauvais dentes could have killed me instead of my mom killing the mauvais dentes."

Adalind sighed in relief, "I'm just glad that it's dead."

"You and me both," Nick said, and she heard him yawn before continuing, "although I can only assume the royal's will keep coming. But I don't want to talk about that anymore. How are you?"

"Good," Adalind said in what she hoped was an upbeat voice, "my grandparents have been great. Sad, of course, about my mom, but happy to see me."

"What did they think about you not being a hexenbiest anymore?" Nick asked.

"They were surprised," Adalind answered, then with a laugh added, "but more surprised about my relationship with the grimm that took it."

Nick chuckled softly, "I'm sure. Your grandmother might not approve of me."

"I wouldn't say that," Adalind replied, "she'll just take some convincing. Probably less convincing than your mother."

"I think you would need a wrecking ball to hit my mother to convince her of anything," Nick said with a snort.

"She's just looking out for you," Adalind said.

"I don't want to talk about her either," Nick said, his voice suddenly lower as he asked, "so tell me….what are you wearing right now."

Adalind looked down at her t-shirt and flannel pants, and bit her lip before replying, "I'm wearing that black lace thing that you like…..you know, the one with the buttons all the way down the back…."

She heard his quick intake of breath before he replied, his voice low and warm, "you're a liar, but I don't care."

Adalind laughed, her body starting to tingle, "it's so hard to get these buttons undone by myself…"

"I can be there in four hours," Nick said, and Adalind grinned.

"It takes almost five and half to get here…."

"I'll use the lights and siren."

"That seems like a misuse of department resources, detective," Adalind said, her tone slightly admonishing, her voice breathy, "I'm not sure this would be considered a police emergency."

"I am the police," Nick said, his voice full of desire, "and I definitely have an emergency."


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favs...you know I appreciate them!

I have borrowed some dialogue from the show for the scenes with Kelly/Nick and Renard/Eric (from 02x02 - The Kiss)

Hope you enjoy - there is a relative calm for our characters right now, but things will be picking up starting next week ;)

 **CHAPTER TWENTY**

Adalind's grandmother, Victoria Arriens-Parker, was an intelligent woman. While she had long ago renounced the more unattractive qualities of her particular species, she still actively cultivated her other skills, especially those relating to potions and spells. As much as she missed the ability to exercise a bit of seductive mind control, she did find that it was much more gratifying when her husband wanted to be with her without any supernatural forces. He made her happy, and that happiness had allowed her to create a life that, while quiet, was satisfying. Most of the time.

Looking out the window at her granddaughter working in the garden, Victoria sighed. She had always wanted so much for Adalind...for Catherine, too. Had tried to raise both of them to appreciate and honor their heritage, but to use that knowledge to make the world better. To try and avoid the seductive pull of power. Victoria still struggled with it at times, but every year found it easier to remain settled into the life that she had chosen. William, her husband, was more than worth it.

Catherine and Adalind had allowed themselves to be drawn in by a royal. While most hexenbiests were vain, as well as ruthless in their pursuits for power within their professions, friendships, and other relationships, the majority did not find themselves in the midst of royalty, bastard or not. The draw had been too strong. Catherine, especially, had always wanted more, had hated the farm and the simple life that it had provided. Adalind, on the other hand, had loved it. She had watched, wide-eyed, as her grandmother made the potions that helped ease the pain and suffering of the people and animals that worked on the farm. Had enthusiastically worked in the special herb garden that Victoria had started in the back of the large greenhouse. She had honed a skill at potion making that perhaps surpassed even her own, and Victoria could not have been more proud. She had always found the more physical hexenbiests to be vulgar and base….potion making was the far more sophisticated and refined art of making magic.

It was also part of their heritage. Their female line descended from one of the earliest covens of witches, and from this coven some of the most powerful potion makers and spell casters had sprung. Of course, these witches had been tortured and persecuted for their skills, creating a distrust and hatred of humans, and the grimms that 'protected' them, that was as old as time. Victoria hoped that as the times changed, so would this perception, but it seemed unlikely, so ingrained was the bias.

Shifting away from the window, Victoria took a book from the highest shelf of the bookcase in her small office. Here she kept her ancient books of spells, potions and history that had been passed down for generations. Catherine had helped herself to several before she had left the farm for good, but Victoria still held the bulk of their collection in this room.

When Adalind had told her the previous day that she had formed a relationship with a grimm, her first reaction had been shock and fear. Grimms were fearsome hunters of wesen, hexenbiests at the top of the list of those that they wished to eradicate. But she trusted Adalind, knew that she would not align herself with a grimm unless she was sure of his intentions. It gave her hope that a grimm and a hexenbiest (even if she was, technically, no longer a hexenbiest) could have a relationship on any level that didn't end in death.

Opening the book, which was a history of their family, or coven, Victoria found the page that she was looking for, and frowned slightly as she read the words.

 _The witches of our coven hold the key - the potions and spells that unlock our greatest powers  
While the world we now know will never understand nor appreciate our gifts,  
There will be a time that one will find a way to show the world our true self  
It will not be an easy path, for she will first lose herself, and her power  
A Grimm will be her downfall, but if he can love her, he will be her salvation_

 _If he can overcome his ancient prejudices, and love her_  
 _A new power will light her from within, the white witch emerging  
_ _In him, she will find her greatest strength  
_ _In her, he will find his greatest ally and mate  
_ _And their union will result in a power unlike any before..._

Victoria heard her husband walk up behind her, but made no attempt to hide the words from him. She gave him a moment to read before turning to him.

"Will you tell her?" William asked, clearly understanding the implications of the words. Living with a hexenbiest all these years had clearly rubbed off on him.

"I don't thinks so," Victoria replied thoughtfully, "if she were to know, then she may go to him and try and force the issue, and you and I both know love can never be forced. They must come together naturally, and his love for her must be real, and acknowledged by him. That is something he must come to on his own. And I don't want her to feel pressured to be with him, that it is her only destiny."

"When...if...he loves her, what will happen," William asked, worriedly.

"I don't know exactly," Victoria answered honestly, "but this is white magic at work. It is not to be feared."

"Don't you think we should warn her, prepare her for what might happen?" It was obvious that William was still concerned, and Victoria gave him a reassuring smile.

"She is strong, William," Victoria took his hand and held in her own, "this world of ours, it's not easy, and never will be. But if she has his love….."

Victoria trailed off, looking fondly at her husband, who smiled back at her, his adoration still clear in his blue eyes.

"Then she has everything," he finished before kissing her gently.

%%%%%

Adalind forgot how much she loved working in the dirt. It went against everything people believed about her, and the persona that she had so carefully crafted. The well put together lawyer, the fancy clothes, luxury cars, and expensive shoes. She did love all of that, and always would, but she also loved the feel of the earth in her hands, of creating something with a simple seed that would grow and become part of a potion that could create magic.

She turned at the sound of someone approaching and smiled when she saw her grandmother.

"I've missed this," Adalind said wistfully, gesturing to the large herb garden where her grandmother grew the special plants for her potions.

"And I've missed seeing you in here," her grandmother responded fondly, "how are you feeling today?"

"Better," Adalind replied, then admitted, "and worse. I know that I needed sometime away from Portland, but I miss them…...Rosalee would love this greenhouse."

On impulse, Adalind whipped out her phone, taking a picture and then sending it to Rosalee, tapping out a text - 'wish you were here.' She slipped her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and turned her attention back to her grandmother.

"How are _**you**_?" Adalind asked her grandmother. After all, her daughter had died, and Adalind couldn't imagine how that must feel.

"I am sad," her grandmother started, her words coming out slowly, as if she was still unsure herself, "I had always hoped that Catherine would come home, that we would reconcile, and now that can never happen. The hope of that is gone, even though it likely never would have happened."

"I don't know," Adalind said, digging a small hole and transplanting part of a large plant to another section of the garden, "if I could change, I suppose there was hope for her, as well."

"Ah, but you were never like her, my dear," her grandmother said, and Adalind gave a humorless laugh, "yes, well I know that you weren't exactly at your best this past year, but you were always different than Catherine. You were satisfied with confining your more...ruthless tendencies to the courtroom, and for the advocacy of your clients. Your mother, and perhaps this royal, used your need for your mother's approval and affection against you. While it doesn't excuse your behaviour, it can help explain it."

Adalind put down the small shovel she was holding and sat on the potting stool, heaving a sigh.

"I'm not proud of what I became," Adalind said in a small voice, "but I'm determined to be better. To make the most of this chance to be normal."

To Adalind's surprise, her grandmother laughed, "Oh my darling, you don't want a normal life."

"Yes, I do," Adalind said emphatically, "I can't go back to what I was."

"And you don't have to," her grandmother replied with a smile, "but you were meant for something bigger than 'normal', Addy. You are a smart, strong, powerful woman in your own right. You don't need to be a hexenbiest to make your mark on this world. You have a fire in you that nothing can extinguish. Nothing but yourself, that is."

"But I'm afraid," Adalind replied, "Afraid that it wasn't just the hexenbiest that made me an awful person, that just being part of that world will make me act like that again…."

"Well, I can tell you that it wasn't just the hexenbiest," her grandmother replied solemnly, "we are the sum of all our parts, Addy. The spirit may exploit some of our more...distasteful qualities, but we ultimately decide who we are. Some are better at controlling that than others."

"Like you," Adalind said with a smile.

"Yes, I have the spirit quite under control," her grandmother replied, "but like many other kinds of addiction, it is something I make the decision to do everyday. With humans it is the same - you have to decide, every day, the person that you want to be."

"I'm not sure who I want to be," Adalind answered honestly, "I suppose that is why I am here. I don't want to be who someone else wants me to be. I've been doing that too long."

"That is very smart, my dear," her grandmother gave her a kiss on the forehead, "and I think you are well on your way to who you are meant to be."

%%%%%

Sean Renard pulled up the photo of the dead mauvais dentes and sent it to his brother, along with a text that read "friend of yours?" He set his phone down and leaned back in his desk chair, confident that he would be hearing from Eric Renard in short order. When the phone rang a moment later, Sean couldn't hide the smug smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Hello, brother," Sean said, his voice fakely pleasant as he greeted his estranged brother.

"Do you mind telling me why you sent me such a...disturbing photo," Eric's cultured voice was clipped, and Sean smiled again at the obvious discomfort he had caused him.

"I'm dealing with the killing of a young man," Sean replied conversationally.

"Young men die everyday," Eric responded, "why wake me for this one?"

"Well, this wasn't just any young man," Sean sat back, confidence evident in his voice, "he arrived on a ship registered to a front company in Rotterdam."

"Really?" Eric's voice was bored, and Sean pressed on.

"You should try to mix it up a little bit if you want my professional advice," Sean said, his voice dripping with barely contained malice, "shall I go on?"

"By all means," his brother's voice had the same bored quality, but there was just enough interest that Sean knew that he had gotten under his skin.

"He's dead," Sean said bluntly.

"Obviously," Eric drawled, "how'd he die?"

"Violently," Sean responded in a clipped voice.

"Were you involved?" Eric asked.

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing," Sean shook his head, "I guess I have my answer."

"The family has waited long enough," Eric replied, all pretense of boredom gone, his tone now commanding, "patience may be a strategy for you, but not for us."

"So you send a mauvais dentes over here to kill him," Sean replied angrily into the phone.

"If the Grimm had died, he would prove not worth the effort," Eric replied easily, "but let me remind you, brother, any more interference from you will not be tolerated."

"Well, from what I've seen of your mauvais dentes, no interference is needed," Sean disconnected the call before Eric could make further comment.

Sean sighed, knowing that time may be running out. The family wanted the Grimm, and his key. They could offer Nick more than Sean could - money, power, position. If Sean had any hope of keeping the Grimm on his side, he would need a new strategy for winning his loyalty.

His thoughts wandered to the promise that he had made to Kelly. It now seemed foolhardy to meddle too much in Nick's personal affairs, although Sean would prefer that Juliette be there in the background as opposed to Adalind with all her…...thoughts and ideas and information. Juliette was easy to control - she knew nothing. Adalind….well, he used to think he could control her, but that time had passed. Her disdain for him was now palpable. Whatever actions he took to try and cause a rift between the two would have to be extremely covert. He tapped his pen against the desk as he considered his options, a sudden thought occurring to him. Men, especially alpha males such as zauberbiests and grimms, were territorial, and often thrilled at the chase more than anything else. Perhaps if Juliette were to find interest in someone else, especially in someone Nick did not wholly approve of, he just may be galvanized into action.

Jealousy was a very powerful emotion, indeed.

%%%%%

Nick opened the door to the trailer and allowed her mother to precede him into the small space. He heard her sigh as she took one last, long look around the cramped interior before turning to look at him, as serious expression on her face.

NIck, it's time for me to go," she said solemnly, and he looked at her in surprise.

"But, you just got here" Nick said in confusion, "we've barely had time to talk, to reconnect."

"I know, but I killed that man, Nick, and I can't let you get caught up in this," she said, "I can't let you risk your career covering for me. It's time for me to go."

Nick felt a bit shell shocked, but he nodded before walking to the weapons cabinet and retrieving the coins from their hiding place. He handed them to his mother, who took a quick look inside before putting them in her pocket.

"How long will it take?" Nik asked

"To destroy them?" she sighed, "there's no telling. It's a long way, and there are still people looking for them."

"I wish I could do it for you," Nick replied, emotion choking his words.

"I wish you could have a normal life," she replied with a sad smile, "I don't know what will happen with Juliette...or Adalind, but don't make the same mistake I did. Don't leave the people that you love."

"Even if that puts them in danger?"

"I don't have an easy answer," his mother sighed, "all I have is a lot of regrets."

"You don't owe anyone an apology," Nick responded, suddenly feeling his heart squeeze uncomfortably.

"Yes, I do," Kelly replied, her words full of meaning.

"I missed you everyday of my life, and having you back in it…." Nick shook his head, "I don't know how I could ask for anything more."

"I'll come back if I can," she responded, pulling him into a tight embrace before breaking it off and smiling, "now, just one more thing...you have to take me to the station."

"I can handle that," Nick responded with a smile.

They drove to the station in relative silence, processing the separation that was to come. Nick felt like a kid all over again, and the sense of abandonment threatened to swallow him whole if he let it. Instead, he pulled to the front of the station and looked at his mother with a smile.

"You're so like your father," she said, a sad smile on her face, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he responded, giving her a last hug. She pulled away and quickly got out of the car, not looking back as she walked to the door of the station. Nick watched for a moment, before taking a deep breath and driving away.

%%%%%

"Have you talked to Nick," Rosalee asked Monroe as they stocked the shelves of the spice shop.

"No, I figured he is probably getting some quality time with his mother," Monroe replied, "I really haven't wanted to interrupt that. They need their time alone….and she probably hates me and wants to kill me, so that has really put a damper on our relationship."

"That does make things difficult," Rosalee said with a smile, then put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure if she just got to know you, she would love you as much as we do."

"Not counting on it," Monroe said with a snort, "I mean, Nick is kind of the exception to the whole Grimm rule of killing first, asking questions later."

"You're a bit of an exception, too," Rosaless replied, "and thanks to you, I guess so am I."

"We're exceptions to a lot of rules, I think," Monroe said, pulling her into a firm embrace before covering her mouth with his own. They barely registered hearing the bell on the door until they heard an embarrassed cough.

"Sorry, guys," Nick said, "didn't mean to interrupt."

"Hey, Nick," Rosalee said, pulling away from Monroe, "we were just talking about you."

"Yeah, man, we've been wondering how you've been," Monroe asked, "everything good?"

"Well, it's been about….. what, thirty six hours since we talked?," Nick shook his head with exasperation, "in that time Adalind has left for Idaho, the mauvais dente kidnapped Renard, my mother killed said mauvais dente, and my mother left to destroy the coins. So, you know, just a regular couple of days."

Nick sat down heavily in one of the chairs in the shop and put his head in his hands, and Monroe and Rosalee looked at him a little worriedly.

"You should talk to him," Rosalee whispered to Monroe, and he looked at her, wide-eyed.

"Me? You're the one that is good at all the feelings and talking and emotional stuff," Monroe whispered back, a bit of panic in his voice.

"You have a very calming presence," Rosalee reassured him, then added, "and YOU are his best friend. Why don't you take him out for a beer or something."

"Yeah….okay... sure," Monroe said with renewed confidence, "I can take my best friend out for a drink, help him out a little."

"Of course you can," Rosalee said, pushing him towards where Nick was sitting, "I know for a fact that you are a good listener."

Monroe hesitantly walked over to Nick, who was still sitting with head in hands, a dejected air about him.

"Hey buddy," Monroe said in what he thought was his most empathetic voice, "you wanna talk about it."

Nick looked up at him with a frown.

"What?"

"Rosalee thinks….and well, I agree, of course," Monroe's eyes darted from Nick to Rosalee, who just shook her head, "that maybe we should go to a bar, get a drink, talk about...things."

"You guys are being weird," Nick said through narrowed eyes.

"Go get a drink with Monroe," Rosalee responded, ignoring his comment. She picked up Monroe's jacket and shoved it into his hands, shooing them out the door, "go blow off some steam, do guy stuff. You'll feel better."

They both stood outside on the sidewalk as Rosalee firmly shut the door behind them.

"Alright then," Monroe said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "let's go do...guy stuff, whatever that means."

"Let's just go to the bar down the street," Nick said, "we can have a couple drinks and then maybe Rosalee will let us back in the shop."

"Maybe," Monroe said, looking back at the closed door, "she seemed pretty intent on getting us out of there."

They walked in silence to the corner bar. It was still early, so there wasn't much of a crowd. They sat in a back corner, giving them both a good view of the entire establishment. They both, for their own reasons, were paranoid in crowds and found that sitting with their back to the wall was the most practical place. They ordered a couple of drinks and then looked at each other in bemusement.

"So your mom left, huh?" Monroe started, trying not to feel awkward. The bartender set down two beers and they both took long drinks before Nick started talking.

"Yeah, and I had just gotten used to her being here, ya know," Nick said, the words suddenly flowing out of him easily, "and then she killed the mauvais dente, and the feds are investigating, so she had to get out of town...fast. It just brought up some stuff that I thought I had buried."

"And it came right on the heels of Adalind up and leaving, too," Monroe proceeded carefully, "so that probably didn't help, either."

"I feel like this grimm stuff is just pushing people away," Nick said, taking another long drink, "and no matter what I do, the people I care about will be in danger."

"It's not an easy life," Monroe replied, already signaling the bartender for another drink for his friend, "but you wouldn't have these people that you cared about if you _**weren't**_ a grimm. I mean, you wouldn't know me, or Rosalee….or Adalind."

"And since you met me, I have put the three of you in more danger than you would have been," Nick said bitterly.

"Well, you know, we would do that anyway. I mean, Rosalee brought that Resistance fighter to our place, not you. That verrat agent would have showed up one or another. And in that case, _**you**_ saved _**us**_! So, there is that….."

Monroe watched as Nick contemplated that for a moment, processing the information before nodding.

"I suppose, but that was just one time," Nick said, determined to be contrary.

"Look Nick, I have said it before, and I am guessing I will have to say it again over the years," Monroe replied with exasperation, "and I may only be able to speak for myself, but I help you because I want to, not because I have to, or because you coerced me in some way. It's because you're my friend, and helping you brings purpose to my life, and because I think you are making a positive change in our world. Okay?"

"Okay," Nick said, and Monroe could see that his friend felt chastened. Nick finished off the second beer, and Monroe considered telling him to slow down.

"I miss her," Nick said quietly.

"Your mom?" Monroe asked.

"No...I mean, yeah, I'm sure I will….but no," Nick replied, "I miss….her."

"Adalind?" Monroe asked, but he already knew the answer, and wasn't the least bit surprised by it, "how are things going with you two?"

"She's been great," Nick said, surprise evident in his voice, "who would have thought she would have been such a great...person."

Monroe rolled his eyes, "person? Why are you having such a hard time calling her what she is. Your girlfriend. Adalind is your girlfriend."

Nick winced, "It's still hard, you know. I mean, I hated her for so long, and then we were pretty much living together, and she was helping me with all this stuff with Renard and the royals, and it all felt so weirdly normal. When she was here, it was easy to ignore that, but now that it's just me, I can't turn my brain off. I just don't know how I am supposed to feel after everything that has happened."

"Don't focus on how you think you should feel," Monroe replied, "focus on how you do feel. I told you before, this life is not easy, and if you find someone who can share this life with you that you actually care about and can stand being around….don't let that go easily, man."

"When I'm with her, I just…." Nick struggled for the words, and Monroe helpfully supplied them.

"You just feel better when she is in the room. The world is just a shade brighter, and no matter what is going on around you, she can still make you smile, laugh even," Monroe got a far off look in his eyes, and Nick smiled.

"Speaking from experience, are you?" Nick said.

"I'm going to ask Rosalee to marry me," Monroe blurted out, and Nick raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's a bit...fast, isn't it?" Nick asked.

"When you know, you know, dude," Monroe said in a wistful voice, then he looked at his friend, "I'm not going to ask her, like tomorrow, or anything. Just soon."

"I'll drink to that," Nick said, sucking down his third beer. Monroe groaned, it was going to be a long night.

%%%%%

After shooing the guys out the door, Rosalee flipped her sign to closed and locked the door. She needed a break. In that moment, she wished she had a close friend that she could call to get a drink with, like Monroe had Nick, but unfortunately, the only friend she could bring to mind was Adalind, and she was no longer an option.

Rosalee flipped to the message that Adalind had sent earlier of her grandmother's herb garden. Deciding to return her text with a call, she held the phone up to her ear, eager to hear her friend's voice.

"Rosalee?" Adalind's voice was slightly surprised, but happy, "How are you? Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, everything's great here," Rosalee reassured her, "I just wanted to thank you for sending the text before."

"No problem," Adalind said, and Rosalee could hear the confusion in her voice, "are you sure there isn't something more?"

"Well, I just sent the guys out to get a drink, and I realized that I didn't really have anyone to do that with, so I thought I would call you."

"Well, I'm glad you called," Adalind said, "I love the farm and all, but life here is a bit slow moving. What's going on there?"

Rosalee wasn't sure it was her place to tell Adalind, but she hesitated only a moment before spilling.

"Nick's mom left, so he's feeling a little…." Rosalee wasn't sure how to finish.

"Abandoned," Adalind finished the sentence with a sigh, "well, that was terrible timing. I felt bad enough for leaving, but I thought at least it would give him a chance to reconnect with his mom."

"Yeah, well, I think things got a little too hot here," Rosalee explained, "and I also think Kelly may not be cut out for a settled life. Too much time on the run and all that."

"I suppose," Adalind replied, but Rosalee could tell she wasn't convinced.

"Tell me how it's going with your grandparents," Rosalee said, changing the subject.

"It's great," Adalind said, "they have been really supportive and understanding of pretty much everything. And my grandmother has already really helped me come to understand certain things about myself, and who I want to be, which is why I'm here."

"That's great," Rosalee said with a smile, "hopefully that means you will be back in Portland sooner rather than later."

Adalind laughed a little, then replied, "I haven't really decided, but I want to make sure that Nick has some time to process everything, too. I think the space is good for both of us, even if it means he may come to a different conclusion about our relationship. I don't want him to wake up a year from now wondering what the hell he was thinking."

"I don't think there is much chance of that," Rosalee responded, "but I can appreciate the sentiment. Everything here is always so intense, it's smart to take a moment to step back and really look at things."

"Or he'll realize how impossible our situation is and decided he never wants to see me again," Adalind said hesitantly, "what if I made a huge mistake?"

%%%%%

Sean pulled up the text from Kelly Burkhardt that had the address of the apartment that Juliette had rented when she had moved out of Nick's house. A moment later, he pulled up to the small, four unit building in a quiet neighborhood. It was a risk, showing up unannounced, but he didn't want to risk her telling him that she didn't want to talk. This way, she would have no choice but to talk with him.

The main door to the building was unlocked, and Sean frowned at the lack of security, but he was thankful he didn't have to find a way to be buzzed in before knocking on Juliette's door. Making his way to the upper floor, he stopped in front of the door, straightening his jacket before knocking firmly on the door.

"Who is it?" came a voice from the other side of the door that Sean recognized as Juliette's.

"Sean Renard," he answered, "I wanted to check on you after everything that happened."

When she didn't answer for a moment, he added, "Kelly asked me to come by."

At that information, he heard the slide of multiple locks, the door cracking open as she looked out at him through narrowed eyes.

"Why would she send you?" Juliette asked suspiciously, "why didn't she just come?"

"Kelly left Portland," Sean answered, "but she wanted to make sure that someone who knew your situation would be here for you if you have any lingering questions regarding everything you have learned. I know it's a lot to process."

"Nick should be the one who is here," Juliette said, her voice bitter.

"I agree," Sean answered, "and if you let me in, maybe we can figure out a way for that to happen."

Juliette regarded him for another moment before opening the door just wide enough for him to enter, then closing it firmly behind him.

%%%%%

Rosalee had done her best to reassure her that she hadn't made a mistake leaving Portland, but Adalind was still feeling a little uneasy as she got ready for bed. Insecurity was a bit of a foreign feeling to Adalind, but then she had never really felt like she had much to lose before. And not just Nick, but the relationships that she had started to forge with Monroe and Rosalee. But as she had told her grandmother earlier, she needed to be sure she was being true to herself, and not just changing her behavior based on their expectation. No way she was making that particular mistake again. If they were going to like her, they were going to have to like _**her**_. And Adalind knew that was a tall order. She wasn't always the easiest person to like.

She was still contemplating her deep thoughts when her phone rang. She was relieved to see that Nick was calling her - talking to him always made her feel better.

"Back from your guys night already?" she said in greeting.

"Nope, still here," Nick responded, sounding a bit unlike himself. Adalind frowned slightly as she heard the noise in the background. Clearly he was still at the bar.

"Well, why don't you just call me when you get home," Adalind replied, "where it's a little less noisy….."

"But I reeeeeealy wanted to talk to you," Nick's words slurred slightly, and Adalind realized that he was just a little tipsy. The thought made her smile. It was hard to picture Nick drunk. He was always the one in control.

"I tried to stop him, Adalind," she heard someone in the background shout, concluding that it was Monroe.

"He did," Nick said solemnly, "but I told him that if he tried to stop me, I wouldn't let him play with the weapons cabinet in my trailer anymore."

"A harsh punishment indeed," Adalind answered in amusement.

"I just…." Nick stumbled slightly, then he cleared his throat, trying to sound more serious, "I need to ask you something."

"Okay…." Adalind said hesitantly, unsure where this was going.

"Well, Monroe has brought it to my attention that you're my….that we…." he stumbled again, and she heard him sigh and mumble something to himself, "that you're my girlfriend, and well, I just wanted to know how you felt about that."

"Oh," Adalind was surprised. She hadn't really felt that they needed to label what was happening between them, but she had to admit it was gratifying hearing him admit that they were actually in a relationship.

"I suppose I feel like…..that's okay with me," Adalind replied carefully, "how do _**you**_ feel about that?"

She was greeted with silence on the other end for a few seconds, and his hesitation hurt.

"I think it would make me happy," Nick answered, "I think it would make you happy, too."

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you," Adalind said with a laugh, but her heart warmed at his words.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he replied, "I mean, who else would ever understand us the way we understand each other."

"True…." Adalind replied.

"And you're really hot," he added.

"Also true," Adalind replied.

"And you're outstanding in bed…." his voice trailed off, and she furrowed her brow as she heard a bit of a scuffle.

"Gimme that….Hey Adalind," Monroe's exasperated voice came through the phone, and Adalind stifled a laugh, "we're in a pretty public place here, so I thought I should probably stop this before it gets, well, more out of hand then it already has."

"Probably not a bad idea," Adalind bit back a smile, "I'm glad you're taking care of him."

"Oh ya, just part of the job description around here," Monroe said, before muttering something to Nick that she couldn't quite hear, "sorry, he was just telling me how much he loved me."

Adalind laughed, "well, i don't want to ruin the moment for you. Just let him know we can talk tomorrow."

"Okay," Monroe replied, then added, "and Adalind, just because he's a little….inebriated, doesn't mean he doesn't, ya know, mean what he told you. He misses you, like, a lot, so this is coming from a genuine place."

"Thanks, Monroe," Adalind said, "I needed to hear that."

"Alright, well, I'm gonna take this guy home," Monroe said, "have fun on the farm."

Adalind disconnected with a smile and climbed into bed. Her insecurities put to rest, at least for now, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

This has been such a busy week! We were out of town, and now with the holidays coming, work is crazy and I am trying to finish up christmas shopping and cookies. So, that is why this is a little late - its a little shorter than usual (not the shortest, but still short), but I didn't want to delay anymore ;)

Thanks to all of you reading, commenting, and following - it means a lot!

Hope you enjoy!

 **CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

Adalind woke to the alarming sensation that she was being watched. Her fears were immediately confirmed when a strong arm wrapped around her and a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Adalind," the voice whispering in her ear was familiar, but she was unable to immediately place exactly who was currently holding her in a vice grip, "I'm not going to hurt you. I just needed to talk to you. If I take my hand away, do you promise not to scream?"

Adalind nodded, still trying to place the voice, and not wholly committed to the promise not to scream. The hand slowly moved away from her mouth, and the grip around her was eased. She turned hesitantly and her mouth dropped open as she identified her intruder.

"Ian?" she couldn't have been more shocked if the Pope himself was sitting next to her on her bed, "what the hell are you doing here? In my bedroom? In the middle of the night?"

She scooted back on her bed, pulling her blanket up to her chest, and eyed him warily. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry I scared you," Ian said apologetically, "but I really need to talk to you."

"We have a front door, ya know," Adalind said with sarcasm, frowning at him as she crossed her hand defensively over her chest.

"I couldn't risk anyone seeing me come here," Ian replied, scooting a little closer to her. She frowned again, and scooted back a few more inches.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"The Royals," Ian said flatly, "they're coming for you."

"For me?" Adalind's eyebrows shot up, "why would they want me?"

"Because of your connection to Sean Renard," Ian answered, then added, "and the grimm."

"Oh," Adalind replied, then sat back against her pillow in contemplative silence before responding a moment later, "but why do they need me? They could just go to Portland, get what they want, and get out. What could I possibly offer them?"

"We believe they want to keep the bloodshed to a minimum for once," Ian said with a hint of anger, "Eric Renard is not quite willing to kill his brother just yet, and they want the Grimm for themselves, if they can manage it. Perhaps they think you still have some influence on the situation."

Ian looked at her questioningly, and Adalind could tell he was waiting for her to confirm the truth of that statement.

"Sean would prefer that I never show up in Portland again," Adalind said with a shake of her head.

"And the grimm?" Ian asked, his eyes probing.

Adalind wasn't sure why she was hesitating. Partly because it still felt a bit unsettled in her mind, what exactly they were to each other. It had been a couple weeks since Nick had drunkenly asked her to be his girlfriends, and while they had talked since, they hadn't really talked about _**that**_ **.** Things had been progressing along the same lines, Nick calling her when he got home from work at night, telling her about his day. She liked hearing about his crazy wesen cases, and sometimes being able to help him sort through what exactly he was dealing with. But she was starting to think it was time to go home to Portland. Her grandparents had been wonderful, reminding her that there was life outside of being a hexenbiest, but if she was being honest with herself, she missed the intrigue of her old life, missed being part of something bigger. She wanted to help Nick change the way wesen saw grimms. She hoped he would let her.

Ian was still watching her and she blew out a sigh, still not sure how much she should tell him. While she trusted him, that trust had limits, and she was still cautious about how much information she was willing to share with him.

"It's complicated," Adalind responded finally, noting to herself that it wasn't exactly untrue - everything about their relationship was complicated. Except the way she felt about him.

"The royal family has reason to believe that the grimm feels protective of you," Ian continued, still watching her, "that he cares for you."

"How on earth would they know that?" Adalind asked in disbelief.

"The idea may have been planted there," Ian responded, and at her raised eyebrow, he continued, "one of our operatives within the family may have given them that idea."

"You set me up?" Adalind's voice raised an octave, and she glared at Ian," after I helped you escape, this is how you repay me?"

Ian had the decency to look embarrassed, but then he shrugged, "I know we don't know each other very well, but I got the distinct impression that you were cut out for this sort of thing. That you enjoyed it."

"Enjoyed being a target for the royal family?" Adalind was incredulous, "oh sure, who doesn't like to have the constant threat of death hanging over their head! I came to my grandparent's farm to get away from all that! Not to be sucked in even more!"

"I should have talked to you first," Ian stated the obvious and Adalind rolled her eyes.

"Ya think?" she shook her head, then sighed, "well, there's no use crying over it now. What's done is done."

They were both quiet for a moment and then Adalind looked up at Ian, a sudden thought occuring to her.

"If they think Nick is protecting me, why would they come to me for help?" Adalind asked, "why would they think I would help them?"

"They have something they think you want," Ian replied.

When he didn't continue, Adalind glared at him in impatience, "well, don't keep me in suspense, what is they think I want?"

"We're not sure," Ian replied with a disgruntled frown, "but apparently Eric Renard is confident enough that he is willing to come to Idaho to present the idea to you directly."

"Wait…" Adalind sat up, and shook her head, "they CANNOT come here. This is my grandparent's farm. They have NOTHING to do with this."

"No harm will come to them, Adalind," Ian said in a placating voice, and Adalind fumed silently as he continued, "the royals want something from you. And as long as they need you, they will treat you as if you are royalty, too."

"So you want me to go along with this little plan of theirs," Adalind was still angry, but she held it in check as she probed Ian for more answers.

"We would," Ian replied.

"To what end?" Adalind asked, "you already have people planted in the family. What could I possibly add?"

"Our man on the inside was recently discovered and had to make a hasty exit," Ian admitted, "we don't have anyone else placed that high up. If you agreed to this, you would have access to Eric Renard."

"I don't see why he would give me any information unless I….." Adalind's words trailed off as she realized what Ian was implying, "Oh no, I'm not going to become some royal asshole's mistress for you guys!"

"We would never ask you to do that," Ian seemed insulted by the suggestion, but then he added, "of course, a little harmless flirtation wouldn't hurt."

"I have a feeling that 'his royal highness' is used to getting a little something out of even the most harmless of flirtations," Adalind countered, shaking her head, "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

Ian sighed, "it may be the only chance we have to get someone back into the inner circle. I know it's asking a lot…."

"Yeah, it really is," Adalind replied.

"But he is coming after Nick," Ian said quietly, "and this may be our only shot at stopping him."

%%%%%

Nick collapsed on his bed in an exhausted heap. He had spent most of the day following up on dead end leads, which left him feeling more than a little frustrated. It was in moments like this that he had somewhat mixed feelings about living alone - on the one hand it was a bit liberating to not have anyone expecting him at a certain time, or badgering him about missing dinner or some other event. But on the flip side, he missed having someone care about where he was...although, he thought he always detected a bit of relief in Adalind's voice when he called her. This experiment in living alone was actually showing him a lot of himself, and what he really wanted out of relationship.

It was also showing him what he did NOT want. In some bizzare twist of fate, he had started to notice that Juliette was spending quite a bit of time with his Captain. He was fairly certain he was noticing this because they _**wanted**_ him to notice. Juliette had started showing up at the precinct at lunchtime -she had given him a nod in greeting, then continued on to the captains office, shutting the door behind her. He had been mildly curious at the interaction, mainly because his Captain wasn't exactly the most trustworthy person. The visits had continued, and his curiosity had turned to exasperation as he noticed that every time Juliette showed up at the precinct, the captain and she would both try to hide their interest in his reaction to the situation. So he had stopped reacting at all, telling himself that it was not his concern what Juliette was doing, even as his conscience pulled slightly at the bank of his mind that he should warn her away from Renard. He hoped as they caught on to his disinterest that they would give up the charade, but ultimately he knew that if Renard put Juliette at risk, he would have to intervene. He still felt responsible for her involvement in any of this mess.

He contemplated the ceiling for several more minutes before finally convincing himself to get up and get out of his work clothes. A glance at the clock told him that it was too late to call Adalind tonight, and he felt a twinge of disappointment that he would have to wait until morning to talk to her. He changed quickly before climbing into bed and was just drifting off when he heard the buzz of his phone next to him.

"What now," he grumbled to himself, answering the phone without even opening his eyes to read the display, "Burkhardt."

"Nick…" he heard Adalind's voice, slightly agitated, and he was suddenly very awake.

"Adalind, is everything okay?" Nick sat up in bed, the fact that she was a solid five hour drive away making him feel suddenly helpless. He would be of no help to her if something was wrong.

"Nothing urgent," Adalind reassured him, but his relief was short lived as she continued, "Ian's here."

"Ian is there?" Nick shook his head, trying to process what she was saying, "Rosalee's Ian? What do you mean he's there?"

"I mean, he's here," Adalind said, her voice suddenly irritated, "as in, he is in my room, sitting on my bed, in the middle of the night, in Idaho. Uninvited, I might add."

Nick was silent for a minute, letting her revelation sink in before he bit out, "Put him on the phone."

"What? No, Nick, it's not like that," Adalind tried to reassure him, although in his current position five hours away, he wasn't easily convinced, "and I can handle him if it was. He's here because of the royals. He says they are coming here, to my grandparent's farm. They want my help."

"What do they want with you?" Nick asked, his mind still trying to catch up.

"You," Adalind answered bluntly, "they want me to get the key, and you, on their side. They think I am angry enough with Sean to work against him, and they think they have something I want."

"And what is that?"

"I'm not sure," Adalind sighed, "anyway, the Resistance wants me to take their offer so they have someone on the inside. They think they are planning something big, and that it involves you."

"You need to stay out of this," Nick replied, "It is way too dangerous."

"I want to help, Nick," Adalind voice was firm, and Nick frowned, knowing it wouldn't be easy to change her mind, "I came here to figure out who I want to be, what I want to do with myself now that I'm not what I was, and this is what I want to do. I want to help. I want to help you, and I want to help the resistance. I want to be part of something bigger than I am. Something that will make a difference."

"That's hard to argue with," Nick responded with a resigned sigh, "how is this going to work."

"I have to wait for Sean's brother, Eric, to contact me," Adalind said, "and I am not really sure when that will be. Could be tomorrow, could be in a week. But Ian thinks it will be sooner rather than later."

"I don't like this," Nick replied, and he heard Adalind laugh lightly.

"I know," Adalind's voice was soft, "I don't like it much either, but it's something I have to do."

"I know," Nick parroted her words, "I should come there…."

"That's not a good idea," Adalind replied quickly, too quickly for Nick's liking, "I mean, if it was any other time, it would be a great idea, but not now. They don't know how…..close we are, and I think we should keep it that way. I don't want them to think they can just use me as bait to get to you."

Nick frowned again, but had to admit to the logic of her explanation. If they knew what she meant to him, they could use that against him, and he refused to put her in anymore danger.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth, "but you let me know what is happening, every step of the way."

"As much as I can," Adalind promised, "I don't know how much they will trust me, so I may not be able to contact you as much as I would like."

"Adalind, please, be careful," Nick said, his voice becoming softer as he allowed his emotions to leak through just enough to let her know how much he cared, "I don't want anything to happen to you….."

"I will be," she replied, and they were both quiet for a moment.

"Now let me talk to Ian," Nick said, his voice hard once again.

"Nick…." Adalind's voice held a warning, but he cut her off.

"I just want to talk to him for a minute," at her continued hesitation, he sighed, "how much harm can I do from here."

"Fine," Adalind huffed out, "but be nice."

"I'm always nice," Nick grumbled as he heard her shift the phone to Ian.

"Hello Nick," came the calm, british-accented voice through the phone, and Nick tamped down the urge to reach through the phone and punch him in the face.

"Ian," Nick returned, just as calmly, "I thought we had a deal - I let you walk, and we don't hear from you again."

"Well, circumstances changes, and all that," came the flippant reply, and Nick silently promised himself that if he ever was face to face with this guy again, he would get at least one punch in.

"And if you want to be precise about it," Ian continued, "I promised to never come back to Portland. I believe I am in….Idaho? Is that right, Adalind?"

The reminder of his close proximity to Adalind did nothing to improve Nick's mood.

"If anything happens to her, I am holding you personally responsible," Nick warned him sternly.

"Nothing will happen to our girl," Ian replied, and Nick could hear the smile in his voice, could picture him focusing that smile on Adalind, "she's much too smart for all that."

Nick closed his eyes and counted to five before answering.

"You and I, and likely Adalind, all know the risks here," Nick replied, taking a breath, "we all know how lethal the Royals can be."

"You're right," Ian said, his voice much more serious, "and that is why what Adalind is doing is so important. We need to destroy the family, and the best way to do that is from within."

%%%%%

"This stupid plan of yours isn't working," Juliette paced in Sean's living room, frustration showing in her face, "he doesn't care that were dating."

"I'm not so sure he realizes that's what this is," Sean replied evenly, taking a drink of whiskey before walking slowly to her and putting his hands on her arms and rubbing slightly, "He may think that we are just friends. That I'm helping you understand what happened to you when you were under Catherine's spell."

"That's the other thing," Juliette angrily shook of his hands and started pacing once more, "he doesn't even care enough to ask WHY I'm coming to see you."

Sean had to admit that Nick's lack of interest in what was happening between Juliette and himself was puzzling. Perhaps it was time to push it to the next level.

"Well, we'll have to show him exactly what is happening between us," Sean replied, as he picked up a an envelope and handed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked, eyeing the envelope with curiosity.

"The Portland PD is giving me an award for my service," Sean said, "we can go….together."

"And why would we do that," Juliette asked, giving the invitation a cursory glance before dropping it back onto the table.

"Because Nick will be there," Sean smiled, "and he will see us there...together. And we will be sure that he realizes just how together we are."

Juliette gave him a long look, her eyes changing from mild curiosity to something else altogether. Her smile started slowly, before turning slightly seductive.

"Maybe we had better work on that," Juliette said slowly, taking a step closer, "just to make sure that it looks realistic to Nick. I've never been that good at faking it….."

Her words trailed off as she reached him, tipping her head up, waiting for his reaction.

"A gentleman would never want a lady to have to fake it," Sean replied before lowering his head to hers, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss.

%%%%%

Adalind had kicked Ian out of her room as soon as the conversation with Nick was over. She had no patience left for the man, and while she sensed that he was hoping she would ask him to stay, he didn't push the issue and made a graceful exit.

Sleep had not come easily after their conversation. There was too much to think about, too much to plan. She had to warn her grandparents about the possibility of royal visitors to the farm, and ask them not to intervene in what was to transpire.

As soon as the sun was up, Adalind climbed out of bed and pulled on a sweater and a comfortable old pair of jeans. It was rare that she was up before her grandparents, but today was one of those days. She headed downstairs and started the coffee. She was staring out the window, taking her first sip, when her grandmother came up behind her, startling her out of her own thoughts.

"You know," her grandmother said nonchalantly, "I was thinking you should invite your young man for Christmas….maybe those blutbad and fuchsbau friends of yours, too."

Adalind choked on the drink she had just taken and looked at her grandmother, "you want to have Christmas with a grimm…..and a blutbad and fuchsbau?"

"These people are important to you, dear," her grandmother responded reasonably, "your grandfather and I would like to meet them."

Adalind calculated the amount of days until Christmas (just about two months), and considered whether she would be done working with the Resistance before then. It seemed to much to hope that they could have a normal, happy holiday, but it was nice to think about.

"I'll see if I can arrange it," Adalind said noncommittally, and her grandmother smiled, seeming to take her answer in stride.

"There is something else that I need to talk to you about," Adalind started to say, but her grandmother cut her off.

"Now what do you suppose all of this is?" her grandmother was looking out the window with curiosity. Adalind walked up next to her and sucked in her breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Adalind replied, as they both watched a line of several black cars make its way up their driveway, "I didn't know it would happen this quickly, but we are going to have some visitors."

"Who are they, Addy?" her grandmother asked, wide-eyed.

"The Royals," she responded with a sigh.

%%%%%

"I thought she left Portland to get away from all of this," Monroe shook his head as Nick finished telling him and Rosalee about Adalind's involvement with the Resistance and the Royals, "you can't get more _**in it**_ than she is about to….you know, be _**in it**_."

"I think she left more to find out what she wanted to do now that she didn't have to be part of the wesen world," Rosalee said, her understanding of Adalind a bit deeper than Monroe's, "she wanted to know what kind of person she wanted to be. I'm glad that she decided she wanted to be someone who helps."

"I agree with you," Nick replied with a sigh, "I just wish she didn't have to help like this. She'll be isolated with the royals. If they find out what she is up to, no one will be there to help her. She'll be at their mercy."

"I don't like that one bit," Monroe said with a shake of his head, "there has to be someway we can help her."

"All we can really do is be ready when she has whatever information she is hoping to get," Nick said with a shrug, "I know they are coming here for the key….and for me. They don't want Renard to have a grimm, so they want to lure me to their side. They'll use Adalind to do that, so at least I will be able to be in contact with her without raising suspicions."

"And why do they think Adalind would help them?" Monroe asked.

"Because they know she hates Renard for betraying her," Nick stood up and started pacing the room, "and they think she is not overly fond of me because I took her powers, but they know that we struck an uneasy alliance because of Renard's betrayal."

"That's it?" asked Rosalee.

"That, and apparently they have something that they think Adalind would want," Nick said with a shrug, "but we don't know what it is."

"Well, she was a hexenbiest, so maybe they think the promise of wealth and power will be enough," Rosalee said thoughtfully.

"So, I'm guessing they don't know you two have been...you know...doing what you've been doing," Monroe asked with a suggestive lift of his brow.

"No, as far as we know, they know nothing of our actual relationship," Nick replied.

"Hey! You actually referred to it as a 'relationship'!" Monroe said with a smile, "you're making progress."

"Yeah, well this separation and now this double agent business with the Royals isn't really helping our 'relationship'," Nick replied, a bit bitter, "would it really be so much to ask for, I don't know, maybe a week where we can just hang out, go to a movie, maybe have a pizza….."

"I could eat a pizza…" Monroe replied.

"Monroe, it is 8:00 in the morning," Rosalee said with a shake of her head.

"There is no wrong time for pizza," Monroe responded seriously, and Rosalee huffed out a laugh.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what was going on so you could be on alert," Nick said, "the royals have targeted Monroe before, so I just wanted you know that they may be back in town."

Nick stood up to leave and Monroe gave him a pat on the back.

"It will be okay, man," Monroe said with a reassuring smile, "things will calm down and you can get back to your almost normal life again….someday."

"I don't really believe that, but thanks for the effort, buddy," Nick returned his friend's smile and headed off to work.

%%%%%

Adalind could not convince her grandmother to let her face the royals alone. So, she sent a silent prayer of thanks that her grandfather was still asleep and they both went to the front door to greet their visitors.

A tall man with dark hair got out of the back seat of one of the four black SUVs that had pulled to the front of the farm, and Adalind assumed by his general bearing (not to mention the arrogance written all over his face) that this was Eric Renard, the crown prince.

She made no move to greet him - she had no reason to expect a prince to show up at the farm, so she put a confused smile on her face and waited until he was standing in front of her

"Are you gentleman lost?" Adalind asked, her voice all pleasant civility, "we don't usually get many visitors this way."

The man she assumed was Eric returned her smile and bowed his head slightly to her, "Ms. Schade, I presume?"

"You presume correctly," Adalind said, maintaining her smile, "and you are?"

"Eric Renard," he replied simply, "I believe we have an...acquaintance in common."

"Renard?" Adalind said in what she hoped was her best confused voice, "are you related to Sean Renard?"

"I have the unfortunate burden of being his brother," Eric replied with mock sadness, "half brother, if I am to be honest."

"So you are the….." Adalind trailed off and looked at him in deference.

"Yes, well, we don't need to get into titles and all that right now," Eric replied in amused gratification, "I would like to speak with you regarding my brother…. As well as another issue. Is there somewhere we could talk?"

"You can take the front parlour," Adalind's grandmother finally spoke, and Eric turned to her with a smile, only to suck in a breath as her grandmother woged into a hexenbiest, "but don't even think about hurting my granddaughter."

Erin recovered himself and smiled once more, "I hold your granddaughter in highest esteem, ma'am. My intentions are nothing but honorable. I hope that we can become great friends and allies."

Her grandmother came back to her human form, and nodded at Eric before leading them all into the parlour. Eric's men stayed stationed outside, a respectable distance from the front porch.

"We don't often see so much security in Idaho," her grandmother said conversationally.

"Yes, well, a man in my position can never be too careful," Eric replied, his voice slightly bored.

"Grandma, would you mind bringing us some tea?" Adalind asked, "and maybe some of those cookies we made yesterday."

"Of course, dear," her grandmother said, although she seemed hesitant to leave, "I'll be right back."

They waited until her grandmother was out of the room, and then Adalind turned to Eric with a tight smile.

"So what is it you really want, your highness," Adalind asked, her voice slightly mocking.

"You're help," Eric replied.

"And why would I help you?" Adalind asked, crossing her arms over her chest, "what could you possible offer a simple farm girl like me?"

"The one thing you lost that you want more than anything else," Eric replied, bearing his gleaming white teeth in a wide smile, "we can make you a hexenbiest again."


	22. Chapter 22

Merry Christmas Eve!

I hope you enjoy this chapter - thank you again for all the reviews and favs/follows. One question was asked about Adalind's grandmother, and whether she was ever mentioned on the show - the only mention was when Adalind and Hank went on a double date with Nick and Juliette and she mentioned her grandparents, but who knows if that was true, or just the part she was playing for Hank's benefit ;) I just went with it being true to give Adalind a bit more backstory.

I know some are getting impatient for Adalind to regain her powers - I mentioned before that my original intent for this story was a much shorter version, but I warmed up to the idea of a more complete retelling. Because of that, things have progressed a little more slowly than I planned. That, and I think its more realistic that the enemies to lovers angle would take a bit of time to fully develop.

Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful holiday!

 **CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

"We can make you a hexenbiest again."

The words reverberated through Adalind's mind as she sat in the backseat of one of the luxurious SUVs that had pulled up to her grandparents' farm not two hours earlier. Eric Renard sat next to her, a self satisfied smirk on his face. Adalind would have liked to slap the look off his face, but she reigned in her temper - she would play along for now.

"Tell me again how you can make me a hexenbiest," Adalind asked, breaking the silence between them. She could tell that Eric was slightly irritated by her request. He had already told her at her grandparents' house how the deed would be accomplished, but Adalind didn't care. The thought intrigued her, and she wanted to know more. She knew it was possible, but had always thought the process was terribly arduous - not to mention expensive. Of course, the royals wouldn't worry about the expense of it all….

"It's quite simple," Eric stated calmly, hiding his irritation behind a placating smile, "we have an individual that can be called upon to help you transition back to a hexenbiest. It is not the….simplest of things to achieve, but I understand that if you want something bad enough, you will go to any lengths to achieve that goal."

"And who, exactly, is this _person_?" Adalind asked.

"That is not something you need to know right now," Eric answered smoothly. Adalind continued to glare at him, one eyebrow raised, and he sighed, "It is enough for you to know that it is possible, and that we have someone who can help you with the process. Sometimes it is better not to know how the proverbial sausage is made."

"I thought your family had an aversion to hexenbiests," Adalind said with a overly sweet smile in his direction, "why on earth would you want to help me become one again?"

"It was my mother who had the aversion," Eric corrected her, his glance lingering on her face, before moving up and down the length of her, "I have no such problem."

Adalind felt her skin crawl, but suppressed the shudder as she continued to regard him closely, "more like your father, are you?"

'I wouldn't go that far," Eric said with a laugh, before looking at her once more, "but I am not opposed to the idea."

"Well you can forget about any of those….ideas," Adalind said, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture, "this relationship is purely business."

"We'll see about that," Eric said with an arrogant smile, and Adalind was once again seized with the desire to slap him. She had a feeling that Eric Renard was not used to hearing the word 'no.' A feeling of of unease crept in as Adalind started to wonder if she was in over her head. It was too late now, though. She was in the lion's den, so to speak, so she would just have to use her wits to keep her safe. They would be in Portland soon, and hopefully she wouldn't feel so isolated.

She turned away from Eric and stared out the window in silence, her thoughts immediately going back to the possibility of regaining her powers. Not that she was planning on taking Eric up on his offer...at least, she didn't think she would. She was just coming to terms with _**not**_ being a hexenbiest, and learning her true self, she shouldn't muck it up with trying to revive her powers. But she had to admit that there was a part of her, however small, that yearned to have that power once more. She had been born with it, and maybe if she could learn to control it… Adalind gave herself a mental head shake. No, things were better this way. She was better this way. She wouldn't give into the lure of power once more.

There was too much at stake this time.

%%%%%

"You look like shit."

Nick looked up from his computer, and frowned across the desk at his partner, who was looking at him with pity.

"Thank you for that assessment," Nick grumbled, before turning his attention back to the report on his computer. He had to admit that sleep had not come easily the night before. Between the late night at work, then the call from Adalind, and finally the desire to talk to Monroe and Rosalee before he went to work, all conspired to rob him of what little rest he was usually able to get.

"I just mean…" Hank trailed off, his brow furrowing before he continued, "well, I think something is bothering you, and I want you to know that I can handle...whatever."

Nick gave his partner a tired smile of thanks, truly appreciating that Hank was trying to offer his support even as he struggled with his own transition into the realities of the wesen world. He supposed Hank was dealing with his own trial by fire, as Renard seemed to throw all the wesen-related cases their way. What Nick wouldn't give for a simple 'human' homicide.

Nick sighed and sat back in his seat, contemplating whether he should involve Hank further and let him in on the maneuvering of the royal family. Hank wouldn't appreciate being left out, so he decided it was for the best to clue him in.

"The royal family is planning on making a move on Renard," Nick said in a low voice, leaning in so only his partner could hear him. Hank's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything as Nick continued, "and maybe me, too."

"Why would they make a move on you?" Hank asked.

"They want me to work for them, and they want my key," Nick shrugged, "and if I don't go along willingly, I don't think they are opposed to using force."

"And how does Renard play into all of this," Hank asked, "you know, outside of him being the bastard son of the King."

"Renard is playing both sides," Nick answered, "the resistance and the royals. I think his family is getting suspicious of his motives. I don't know that they will kill him, but they don't like what they perceive as his influence over me."

"You're one popular guy…." Hank said with a shake of his head, "how did you find out about all of this?"

Nick hesitated for a moment, then decided if he wanted Hank to truly trust him, he needed to not hold anything back.

"Adalind."

"Adalind?" Hank asked in surprise, "what does she have to do with any of this?"

"The royals want her to help them," Nick replied, and at Hank's incredulous face, Nick explained, "they think she has an ax to grind with Renard, which I suppose she does...but they also think she has some influence with me…."

Nick trailed off and Hank's gaze intensified, "does she?"

Nick was quiet for a beat, then answered, "they know that I'm protecting her."

"Is that all?" Hank asked.

"That's all they know," Nick answered, purposefully avoiding the real question Hank had. He was saved from having to elaborate further when he saw Renard approaching their desks. He indicated the captain's approach to Hank with a nod of his head, and they both turned as Renard stopped and eyed them both.

"What can we do for you, Captain?" Nick asked, sitting back in his chair, his posture casual as he glanced up at his boss.

"I just wanted to be sure that you would both be at the banquet tomorrow," Renard responded, glancing at Nick, and then Hank, "this is an important award, and while it may have my name on it, it is a reflection on this entire precinct. It is important that we have a strong showing."

Hank sighed, "we'll be there."

Renard gave a curt nod, then added, "and don't forget, it's black tie." Renard gave them both a meaningful look up and down before walking back to his office.

"Do you get the feeling that he is concerned that we won't be able to dress ourselves appropriately," Nick asked Hank.

"Maybe you," Hank replied, sitting up straighter, "but i know how to turn myself out when needed."

Nick's retort was cut off by Wu, who leaned a hip against his desk, file folder in hand.

"Got a body for you," Wu said, dropping a file, "and not the good kind…..the dead kind."

"Not your best joke, Wu," Nick said with a smile and shake of his head.

"Well, it's not easy to come up with new material every day," Wu responded, as they headed for the door.

%%%%%

Adalind felt some of the tension leave her body as the familiar sights of Portland started to move past her window. Soon she would be in her own house, in her own bath, and in her own bed...preferably not alone, but she would have to wait until they dropped her off to make that particular phone call. She assumed that they knew where she lived, as they never asked where they should drop her off, but she was dismayed to find they were moving towards downtown, not her townhouse.

"Where are are going?" Adalind asked, concern evident in her voice.

"The Hotel Deluxe," Eric replied.

"I don't need to stay at a hotel," Adalind said, her unease escalating once more, "I live in Portland."

"I would prefer to have you close, my dear," Eric said with the smile she had come to hate, "you'll be staying with me."

Adalind recoiled, "that was NOT part of the deal."

"Oh, don't get so worked up," Eric replied, his composure cracking slightly for the first time, "we have the entire penthouse reserved. You'll have your own room."

Adalind relaxed slightly, but then Eric added, his smooth smile back in place, "Until you change your mind, of course."

"You're awful sure of yourself," Adalind said, realizing that a few months ago she would have fallen all over herself to please a man like him. It made her stomach turn.

"I'm a prince," Eric said matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything.

"I cannot roll my eyes hard enough at you right now," Adalind bit out.

"I like a little bit of feistiness," Eric replied with a grin. The car suddenly stopped and Eric looked out the window before turning back to Adalind, "looks like we're here."

The door opened, and a uniformed doorman held a hand out to her. She tentatively put her hand in his, and stepped out of the car. She looked up at the imposing facade, feeling suddenly like she was entering a very luxurious trap. Eric walked around the car and offered her his arm.

"Come, my dear," he said, leading her inside, "we have plans to make."

%%%%%

NIck hadn't heard from Adalind since the call in the middle of the night, and he had to admit, he was worried. And the last thing he felt like doing was putting on a suit and fake smiling his way through a tedious dinner honoring his lying captain, but that was what he was doing.

The ballroom was already full when he arrived, and he tugged awkwardly at the collar of his shirt, hoping against hope that he would get called out to a cold homicide scene. He spotted Wu and Hank already seated at a table near the front, and he made his way through the crowd, sitting down and smiling glumly at his friends.

"Well, don't we all clean up nice," Wu said with a smile. Hank returned his smile, but Nick barely managed a grunt.

"You should enjoy this, partner," Hank said good-naturedly, "look around, its a beautiful night, we get a free dinner…..not to mention all the lovely ladies dressed to the nines."

Nick looked around and had to admit that the place was full of well dressed, good looking people. His gaze fell on his captain as he made his way to their table, then to the woman on his arm.

"What the…" he heard Wu react first, then Hank choking on his drink. Nick supposed he should be surprised, but he really wasn't.

"Hello everyone," Renard greeted them with a tight smile, "I think you all know Juliette."

Juliette smiled at them all in turn, greeting Wu and his partner warmly before turning her face to his, her smile slipping slightly.

"Hello Nick," she said softly, and Nick nodded in greeting. He wasn't happy to see her, but he couldn't bring himself to have much of a reaction to her being there. Other than it being awkward as hell, he couldn't muster up much of an emotional response.

Wu and Hank were both regarding him with worried glances, but Nick gave them a small shake of his head to indicate that there was nothing to worry about. They looked relieved, but unconvinced.

"Juliette," Nick replied with a slight nod in her direction.

"I hope this won't be an issue for you," Renard said quietly to Nick after he had seated Juliette.

"Not at all," Nick replied, taking a long drink from the glass that had been placed in front of him, "what Juliette, and you for that matter, does is not my concern."

"Good to hear," Renard responded, but Nick had a sneaking suspicion that Renard wasn't that pleased with his response. Nick had to wonder what his angle was. He hadn't told Renard about Adalind's departure because, frankly, it wasn't any of his captain's business. Maybe if he had, however, Renard wouldn't have started using Juliette to try and make him jealous. It was the only explanation he had for Renard's attention to Juliette. Or maybe they actually liked each other…..Nick snorted at the thought and the table turned to him.

"Sorry," he said, sitting up a little straighter in his chair and plastering the fake smile back on his face, "was just thinking of something else."

"Yes, well, I would just like to thank you all for coming…." Renard's voice trailed off as his eyes seemed to focus on something over Nick's shoulder. Curious, Nick turned and was stunned to see Adalind walking towards them on the arm of a tall, dark haired man. He had an aristocratic bearing, and the same arrogant look that he often had seen on Renard's face. There was no doubt in his mind who this man was.

"My brother is here," Renard said, his voice quiet as he half stood, waiting for the inevitable confrontation, "and what the hell is Adalind doing with him."

His question was directed at Nick, but he wasn't interested in answering him in that moment. His eyes followed Adalind, dressed in a simple black dress that hugged her every curve as it fell from her the strapless bodice all the way down to the floor. Her hair fell loose down to her shoulders, waves softening her face as her eyes found his. He saw uncertainty there, so he smiled slightly in reassurance and she seemed to get the message as the tension in her shoulders seemed to relax slightly. Despite the circumstances, he felt a surge of happiness at the sight of her.

Before they reached their table, Adalind and her escort turned and headed to a different table. She threw him an apologetic glance over her shoulder, but continued on with Renard's brother. Eyes narrowed, Nick watched as the other man settled Adalind into a chair at a table, then turned back to the other occupants of his own table, who were looking at him with varying degrees of interest.

"What?" he asked at their looks.

"What the hell is Adalind doing with my brother?" Renard practically growled at him, and Nick shrugged, uncertain how much he should, or could share with him. Nick flicked his glance from Renard, to Wu, and back to Renard, hoping he would pick up on the fact that they were in mixed company. Renard closed his eyes, then took a deep breath.

"I need to have a talk with my brother," Renard said through gritted teeth, them more gently to Juliette, "please excuse me. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Juliette nodded at him, her eyes filled with concern. She then turned and glared at Nick.

"What trouble is that little bitch stirring up now," Juliette asked him hotly, then seeming to collect herself, she continued calmly, "she better not distress Sean on his big night."

Nick gaped at her for a moment, before shaking his head and turning away, ignoring her comment completely. He watched Renard's progress towards his brother, who stood when Renard stopped at the table. Both men were skilled at maintaining outward calm, but Nick had to imagine their was quite a bit of emotion boiling below the surface.

"Am I missing something," Nick turned back around at the sound of Wu's voice, "I mean, isn't the Captain's brother being here a good thing?"

"They aren't exactly...close," Nick hedged, before turning around once more. Renard and his brother were gone, and Nick scanned the room, looking for Adalind. When he couldn't find her, he had to assume that she had gone with the other two men, which immediately put him on edge.

"I'm going to make sure everything is okay," Nick said standing up and making his way through the crowded ballroom. As he tried to move through the large crowd, the band suddenly started to play, and Nick found his way blocked by couples making their way to the dance floor. Annoyed, Nick waited for them to pass, then tensed when he felt a hand on his back, turning slightly as he felt the brush of hair against his cheek.

"Dance with me," a tingle moved up his spine at the whispered command in his ear, his breath unexpectedly catching in his throat at the familiar sound of her voice, his heart rate ratcheting up a notch. He didn't answer, merely took her hand and led her to the dance floor, pulling her gently into her arms. His hand settled on the small of her back, and she wrapped an arm around his neck, her fingers resting softly against the sensitive skin at the nape of his neck. He kept a firm grasp on her hand, holding tighter than was strictly necessarily, but now that he had her in his grasp, he didn't want let go.

"I missed you," he said quietly, ignoring for a moment the bigger issues confronting them.

"I missed you, too," she replied, smiling softly up at him. They were quiet for a beat, then Adalind's smile faded, and she took a step back in his hold, putting a bit of distance between them. Nick frowned slightly, and looked at her questioningly.

"They're watching us," Adalind said in explanation, and Nick looked over her shoulder at the table Renard's brother had led her to earlier. Five men in identical suits were seated at the table. All eyes were focused on them, and Nick turned his gaze back to Adalind.

"Verrat?" Nick asked, and Adalind nodded.

"As far as I can tell," Adalind replied, "although only one of them has fully woged in front of me" at Nick's raised eyebrow, Adalind shrugged and explained, "he spilled his drink on my new shoes and maybe I overreacted and threw the shoe at his head."

Despite the circumstances, Nick snorted a laugh before turning serious once more, "how many men did Renard's brother bring?"

"Six total," Adalind's eyes wandered to the doorway where Renard and his brother had made their exit, "Eric took one of the men with him when he went with Sean."

"Not a strong show of force," Nick mused, "at least not for a Royal."

"It doesn't take many hundjagers to get the job done," Adalind said bitterly, "and I don't think Eric is expecting much resistance, anyway."

"He seems quite sure of your assistance," Nick said softly, "what did he promise you?"

Adalind chewed on her lip nervously, and Nick felt a weight settle in his chest. Whatever it was that they offered, she wasn't completely immune to it's lure, and that scared him.

"Adalind….what is it?" NIck asked, pulling her closer once more. She turned her wide-eyed gaze up to him.

"They want to make me a hexenbiest again."

%%%%%

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sean Renard glared at his brother, nostrils flaring as he regarded the calm man in front of him.

"The family is sick of your games, Sean," Eric replied with a cold smile, "it's time to take matters into our own hands. You can either get with the program, or be left in the dust. It's your choice. But as I mentioned before, your interference won't be tolerated in this matter."

"You seem quite sure of yourself," Sean replied, reigning in his temper.

"And why shouldn't I be," Eric replied easily, "I have the resources of the entire royal family at my disposal, the Verrat…..and the lovely Adalind. How did you ever let her go, brother? She is quite remarkable."

"She's no longer a hexenbiest," Sean replied, confused, "I don't see what possible advantage she gives you."

"The grimm doesn't seem to agree with your assessment," Eric said, smiling once more, "I believe he has a soft spot for her."

Sean's jaw clenched, but he refused to confirm his brother's suspicions.

"I wouldn't overestimate her influence, brother," Sean bit out sarcastically, "the grimm has been in love with the same woman for several years. Whatever Adalind is to him, she can't compare to that."

"Oh yes, you mean the charming young woman that came here with you tonight," Eric nodded in recognition, "odd that, her being here with you and not the grimm. Perhaps it is you that is overestimating a woman's influence."

Sean felt his control start to unravel, so he took a steadying breath and looked his brother in the eye.

"I need to return to my party," Sean straightened his jacket, flicking an imaginary piece of lint from his sleeve, "we can finish discussing this later."

"I don't know what there is left to discuss," Eric replied, "You are with us, or you aren't. You know where to find me."

Both men turned to walk back to the ballroom, but then Eric put a hand on Sean's arm. He turned back to look at his brother, and was surprised to see what looked like sincerity in his eyes.

"We haven't always seen eye to eye, Sean, but things are different now," Eric said, "you can come home. There is no longer anything to fear in Vienna."

Eric walked past Sean and back into the ballroom, leaving Sean to wonder what to believe.

%%%%%

Adalind watched the play of emotion across Nick's face as he processed what she had told him. Shock, obviously, but also a flicker of what she thought was fear.

"Is that even possible?" Nick asked with surprise.

"Yes, but it is a long, painful ritual," Adalind shuttered, "not for the faint of heart."

"Are you considering it?" Nick asked carefully.

Adalind gave the questions some consideration before replying, "I would be lying if I said that I don't miss some of the things I was able to do as a hexenbiest, but honestly Nick, the value that I have found in myself as a human is so much more important. I like who I am now…..and I know being a hexenbiest would change that."

Nick sighed in relief, releasing the breath he had been holding. Over Adalind's shoulder he saw the Renard brothers return to the ballroom and returning to their respective seats. No one was bleeding, and they both remained impeccably turned out, so Nick had to believe that their confrontation had been mostly verbal. They both seemed to be watching him, and Adalind, closely, and their intense attention made him uncomfortable. He needed to be with Adalind…..alone.

"When you get home tonight, call me, and I'll come over," Nick said, his voice more intense then he would have liked, so he added with a certain amount of uncertainty, "if you want me to…."

"Of course I want you to, but Nick….." she trailed off and looked at him nervously, and he knew that he wasn't going to like what she said next, "I'm not staying at home…."

"Where are you staying?" Nick asked, although he was fairly certain he already knew the answer to that question.

"At the Hotel Deluxe…" Adalind started, then grimaced as he looked at her expectantly, "with Eric."

"Of course," Nick said, half to himself.

"I have my own room," Adalind followed up quickly, "and Eric hasn't pressed for that kind of relationship….at least not much."

"I don't like this," Nick responded his voice hard, "we need to end this."

"I agree," Adalind replied, "i just don't know what his plan is yet - if you can't be convinced to go along willingly to Vienna, what will he do?"

"And that's why you need to stay with them for now," Nick said with a resigned sigh. They were both quiet for a moment, and then Adalind looked up at him, smiling.

"You need to arrest me," Adalind said suddenly, "or have someone else arrest me. Either way."

"What?" Nick looked at her in confusion, "why?"

"So we can be alone," Adalind explained, "any other way and they will send someone with me. This way, they have no choice but to let me go. And we can be alone…..really alone."

"Yeah, a jail cell isn't exactly the location I was hoping for," Nick responded.

"This song is about to end, Nick, and I'll have to go back to that table," Adalind said seriously, "if you can think of a better way…." she trailed off as the music ended, and she stepped away from him, a look of longing in her eyes as she turned and walked back to the table.

%%%%%

"What the hell is going on," Juliette hissed quietly as Sean took the seat next to her, his face hard and unreadable.

"It's nothing," Sean replied, picking up his drink and tipping it back, draining the entire contents. He gestured to the waiter to bring him another. His patience was wearing thin, and he didn't feel the need to explain himself to Juliette.

"Nothing?" she looked at him incredulously, "I thought you hated your brother….and he hated you? So why is he here? And what is _**she**_ doing with him?"

"I told you….it's nothing," Sean replied in the same flat tone. Her eyes blazed at him, but she didn't push further, slumping back in her chair with a huff.

His eyes wandered to where Nick and Adalind were dancing, talking somewhat intensely and he wondered how much Nick knew. If he knew that his brother was coming here tonight, knew that Adalind was working with the royal family. His hand fisted around his drink, and he forced himself to relax before the glass shattered in his hand.

The song ended and Adalind walked back to his brother, and Nick returned to the table, making eye contact with Sean.

"We need to talk," Nick said, and Sean nodded curtly and stood. The two men made their way to the secluded hallway behind the ballroom and Sean leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

"Did you know they were going to be here?" he asked, unwilling to beat around the bush or play games.

"No," Nick assured him, and Sean breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn't lost completed control of the situation. Then Nick continued, "but I did know that the royals were going to make contact with Adalind."

"And you didn't think that was something you should share with me?" Sean gritted out.

"Well, I just found out yesterday," Nick said defensively, "and I honestly didn't know that things would play out this quickly. But they did, and now I need you to do something."

"You need to tell me everything you know," Sean replied.

"I will," Nick promised, "but first, I need you to arrest Adalind."

%%%%%

Adalind briefly watched the interaction between Sean and Nick before turning her full attention to Eric.

"How did it go," he asked her, and she smiled, her cool facade sliding into place.

"He make take some convincing if you want him to come willing to Vienna," Adalind lied smoothly, "he is quite attached to Portland, but he has no real family here, so I think he can be convinced."

"I am sure you can be very convincing, my dear," Eric replied with a smile.

"We'll see," Adalind replied, already sick of the game and desperate to be alone with Nick again. She sighed to herself, then asked, "and how is Sean?"

Eric shrugged, "the same. He knows not to interfere."

Adalind snorted, "And you think that will stop him."

"No," replied Eric, "but at least I warned him, so whatever happens now is his own fault, one way or another."

Adalind nodded and then took a drink from her wineglass, her eyes sliding to where Nick had just taken a seat at his table. Sean whispered something to one of the other individuals at the table - he looked familiar, but Adalind couldn't quite place him other than the fact that he worked with Nick, Sean and Hank. The man's eyes flicked to Adalind while Sean talked to him, and she suddenly felt self-conscious. She kept one eye on the other table, sitting up a bit straighter as she noticed the man get up and walk towards her.

"Good evening, ma'am, I'm Sgt. Wu," the man said quietly when he reached her, his eyes taking in the other men at the table before continuing, "I hate to have to do this right now, but I need to take you down to the station."

Adalind outwardly made a shocked face, but inwardly, her heart sped up in relief and happiness that Nick had gone along with her plan.

"May I ask for what reason, Sergeant?" Adalind asked, trying to keep her real emotions from bubbling to the surface.

"There are some questions regarding the disappearance of your mother," Sgt. Wu continued, then cleared his throat, "I would like to do this as quietly as possible given our…..present location."

"Of course," Adalind said smoothly, getting up and giving him what she hoped was a nervous smile, "I'm sure we can clear this right up."

She picked up her bag and wrap, and Eric put his hand on her arm, his expression giving nothing away.

"This could be a trick," Eric said quietly.

"It could be," Adalind said with a look of innocence, "but what would you have me do? Make a run for it?"

"I'll clear this up as quickly as I can," Eric assured her, and Adalind smiled at him sweetly.

"I would appreciate that," she lied, then turned her attention back to Sgt. Wu, "I'm ready."

Sgt. Wu escorted her to a waiting car and they drove to the precinct in relative silence, Adalind using the time to contemplate what they should do about Eric and the royals - not that she had any easy answers, but she didn't know how much time she would have with Nick before others would intervene, so she didn't want to waste any precious moments.

"They wanted me to have you wait in a holding cell," Sgt. Wu said, looking a bit embarrassed, "guess they think you may be a flight risk."

"Well, they may not be wrong," Adalind said with an easy smile. She stepped into the cell and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't quite as disgusting as she thought it would be. She turned slightly as she heard someone else enter the room.

"Thanks, Wu, I'll take it from here," Nick's voice was strained, and she waited until Wu's footsteps faded before turning to him.

"Nick…..what are we going to do?" Adalind asked, and he took two purposeful steps toward her, backing her against the wall and gripping her head in his hands.

"Later," was his only reply, as his mouth descended on hers.

%%%%%

Her mouth went soft under his, welcoming him, drawing him in deeper as she slid her hands into his hair. A moment later he pulled away, and looked down at her flushed face.

"I'm sorry, this isn't where I wanted to have this reunion, but I saw you and….." his words trailed off and he kissed her again, hard and passionate.

"Don't apologize," Adalind said as his mouth slid from her mouth to her neck, "I feel the same way."

"You look amazing," he replied, his hands running roughly over the silk hugging the curve of her hip, bunching and pulling it up as he continued to run his tongue along the sensitive skin of her neck. Adalind worked her hands under his jacket and pushed it over his shoulders before going to work on his tie.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Adalind murmured as she used her hands to draw his face back up to hers, "but I think it would look better on the floor."

"Adalind we can't do that here….." he knew how little conviction there was behind his words as he continued to work her dress up and over her hips, "Someone could walk in at anytime."

"Then I suppose we'll have to be quick," Adalind said with a sigh as his hands swept under her dress, pulling her hips in direct contact with his. She breathed his name, and he felt his entire body become hard. He used his hand to lift her slightly, and she hooked her legs around his hips.

He felt her hands move to his pants, unzipping, and then palming him gently. He moaned at the slight touch, but he continued kissing her neck, her ear, finally finding her mouth again and biting her lip softly until she opened under the sensual assault.

She started to squirm against him, and the movement made him shudder slightly in pleasure. She moved her hands up his body, gripping his hips and angling slightly, telling him with her body what she wanted him to do. With a growl, he reached under her dress and tore away the delicate black lace that was separating them.

"I hope you weren't too attached to those," he whispered against her mouth.

Adalind laughed, but it was a husky, seductive sound, "I'm sure you'll make it up to me."

He pressed into her, and her laugh died on a sigh of pleasure as he tried to regulate his body's response. She felt tight and hot, and he gritted his teeth as he tried to go slow.

Adalind seemed to sense his struggle and she pulled back, looking at him with passion hooded eyes.

"Don't hold back," she said, and her words were all he needed to hear as he drove into her hard, her body shuddering against his in release. It took only another moment to find his own release, and he pressed into her, holding her body tight to his as he allowed his breathing to return to normal before pulling back and looking at her.

"God, I missed you," Nick said.

"I picked up on that," Adalind said with a crooked grin, then added, "I missed you, too."


	23. Chapter 23

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We were very busy with parties, holiday events, and a wedding!

I did try and post earlier today, but the site was giving me errors. Hopefully the mobile app works! Now that the holidays have passed, I hope to get back to weekly posts :)

Thanks again for the reviews, favs. We are moving towards the big reveal, so thanks for sticking with me!

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Once their passions had a moment to cool, Nick couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed by his behavior. He hadn't envisioned his reunion with Adalind quite like this, but seeing her look at him with those clear blue trusting eyes, he was lost. And he had lost control, something he usually couldn't afford to do.

"I hope there are no cameras here," Adalind said, amusement keeping her tone light, but then she turned to Nick with a look of mortification, "omigod, Nick, there are cameras in here, aren't there."

"I'll take care of it," Nick said with the wave of his hand, although he knew he would need Renard's help with that task, and he didn't relish asking for the favor.

"You mean Sean will take care of it, don't you?" Adalind replied, seeming to read his mind, "Be careful of that, he may keep the footage just to hold it over your head."

Nick rocked back on his heels a bit and wondered to himself how he had gotten to a place in his life that he was worried about the implications of his boss having a copy of what could only be described as a sex tape.

"Maybe I will handle this one myself," Nick replied, slightly abashed, "I'm sorry, I wasn't really thinking when we….did what we did."

"I wasn't exactly the voice of reason," Adalind gave him a reassuring smile, "don't worry too much about Sean. With his brother in town, he is going to be doing anything he can to ensure that your loyalty remains to him."

Nick's brow furrowed, and he replied, "I wouldn't call it loyalty as much as a common enemy. I don't want to be under anyone's thumb."

"I know," Adalind sighed, "but in this fight, you need allies, even unwilling ones."

They were both quiet for a moment as they finished straightening their clothing. Giving up on smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress, Adalind suddenly looked up at him.

"I can't believe I haven't asked yet, but what was Juliette doing there?" Adalind asked with interest, "and why was she with Sean?"

"I think they are trying to make me jealous…." Nick said, still not sure if that was the ultimate goal, "but I think they may have unwittingly started to like each other. Ever since she found out about all of this, Juliette's…..I don't know what, just different, I suppose."

"Well, I can't blame her for that," Adalind said with a shrug, "A lot of bad things happened to her because of this other world that exists, that she knows about, but can't truly be a part of. Holding on to something, or someone, in that world may make her feel like she has more control."

"Is that how you feel?" Nick asked quietly, and Adalind glanced up at him, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I suppose it is," Adalind responded with a shrug, "although I'm not angry about it like Juliette is. At least, not anymore. But I admit that I can't just walk away from the world I was born to - it will always be a part of me. I don't need to hold on to anyone to feel a part of that world because it is my world, and always will be. Just like it is for you."

"Lucky us," Nick gave her a bemused smile, before continuing, " but back to the matter at hand. What exactly are the royals up to?"

"I wish I knew," Adalind responded, "but whatever it is, they are willing to do whatever it takes to get you to Vienna, one way or another."

%%%%%

Eric Renard sat on the couch in the penthouse, his outward demeanor relaxed as he twirled the drink in his hand, watching the amber liquid. Inwardly, his mind was working on how he should proceed. Adalind being taken into police custody had been….unexpected, but he chose to view it as an opportunity as opposed to a set back.

"Should we see to getting Ms. Schade out of jail," one of his men asked, and Eric took a moment to consider before answering.

"No," Eric answered, "let's see what the grimm does before we bring her back to us. She may be even more valuable than we originally thought."

The man nodded and walked away, leaving Eric once again to his thoughts. He supposed it was possible that the grimm had developed feelings for the former hexenbiest, but his extensive knowledge of the species rebelled against the idea. Hexenbiests were rarely attractive to those outside their own species…..except for Royals, who shared some of the same traits that hexenbiests themselves seemed to have. They were tools to be used, however, not to be loved or cared for. That was a mistake that his father made, and not one he planned on repeating.

Of course, the grimm species was a bit of a mystery to him; however, he was well aware of their animosity to wesen, especially hexenbiests. Which made the interaction between Adalind and this grimm so interesting - was it possible there was more than met the eye between the two?

Eric shook his head, and smiled slightly to himself. Impossible - people didn't change. Adalind's willingness to help him in exchange for the return of her powers just confirmed for him that she was like the others of her species. If the grimm knew how quickly she agreed, it was unlikely his protection of her would continue. And grimms, given the opportunity to control the wesen population with the resources and support of the royal family rarely turned down the offer. The only obstacle was Sean, and if Sean continued to be part of the problem, well, then he would just have to be dealt with.

Eric stood up and walked to the window, which afforded him an expansive view of downtown Portland.

"Ah Portland," his tone slightly mocking, "You are no Vienna. We are home to Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and Strauss. And you are home to…..Nike."

He took another drink, then shook his head, "Yes, you are no Vienna, but then again, what is."

He turned to one of his men who was standing near him and asked, "How did they come up with that name, do you suppose?"

The man shrugged, "they have a port. They have land."

"Really put a lot of thought into that one," Eric mumbled into his glass, looking up at the sound of the knock at the door. His smile broadened as the door open to admit a friendly face.

"So very good to see you, your highness," the man's voice held the lilting tones of creole, his dress flamboyant in a purple suit and hat.

"And you too, Baron," Eric asked, chuckling lightly, "you too."

%%%%%

"What the hell is my brother doing here," Sean demaded, storming into the holding cell. Adalind sighed in irritation and sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he hadn't arrived five minutes earlier.

"And why the hell are you with him," Sean's eyes were blazing, his nostrils flaring as he looked at her. Nick took a protective step towards her, but Adalind waved him away.

"It's okay, Nick," Adalind said, her smile a bit patronizing as she looked at Sean, "he's not going to hurt me. He can't risk pissing off his brother right now."

"One of you just needs to tell me what is going on," Sean's voice was quiet, but his tone was hard, and Adalind knew better than to keep pushing him.

"You mean your friends in the Resistance didn't tell you of their little plan?" Adalind asked, "how they put it Eric's ear that I hated you and had exposed your betrayal to the grimm? I supposed they didn't care for your input on this little plan."

Sean clenched and unclenched his fist, and Adalind sighed and continued.

"Eric is sick of waiting for results," Adalind told him, "he thinks that you are stalling, which we both know is true, and he wants to take matters into his own hands."

"And he thinks you can help him?" Sean asked in a mocking voice, and Adalind bit back a sharp retort.

"He does," Adalind replied evenly, "he knows that I am the one who revealed your betrayal to Nick, so he thinks that I can convince Nick to align with the family."

"And what did he offer you?" Sean asked, "I know he's not relying on your helpful nature, so he had to dangle something as an enticement."

Adalind's eyes slid to Nick, and he nodded slightly before she replied, "he will help me become a hexenbiest again."

"Really," Sean looked thoughtful for a moment, his gaze intent on her, and Adalind could practically hear the gears moving in his head as he thought through what she had just told him.

"Yes, really," Adalind said, her voice icy, "but don't get any grand ideas. I'm not going to go through with it."

"Are you sure?" Sean asked, as he flicked a glance to Nick then back to her, "you could be useful again to me...to us, if you were hexenbiest."

"I'm not really interested in being useful to you," Adalind said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, "and I think I have proven I can be helpful, even without the hexenbiest."

"She has," Nick interjected, as a smug smile slowly pulled on his mouth, "why, I would never even know that you were a member of this royal family if it wasn't for Adalind."

Adalind could see Sean's jaw tense, and his eyes narrow, but just as quickly he gained control of his emotions and his face smoothed out to his usual calm, but cool, visage.

"But," Nick started again, pushing away from the wall where he had been leaning, "bickering isn't going to get us anywhere, so let's put the past away for right now and concentrate on what the current issue is - your brother."

"If I know Eric, and believe me, I do, he's going to have a backup plan," Sean replied, pacing as much as possible in the small cell, "he's hoping you will go willingly, but he is not going to count on it. No, he will have something else altogether in mind if you don't submit to him."

"Which is why I need to go back," Adalind sighed, "maybe I can find out something helpful."

"You're going to need to pick a side soon," Nick said to Renard, "One way or another. Things have escalated and we need to know who we can count on."

"You can count on me," Renard said curtly, before nodding and walking out of the holding area, leaving Nick and Adalind alone once more.

After he was gone, Adalind turned a worried gaze to Nick.

"Can you trust him?" she asked.

"I don't know," Nick replied, "but what choice do I have. We can't face down these royals alone."

"Speak for yourself," Adalind responded with a confident smile, "now let me out of here and let's get this whole thing over with. I have plans for you that definitely require a more comfortable location."

%%%%%

"Ms. Schade has been released, and is on her way back to the hotel, your highness," Eric looked up and nodded at the man, before dismissing him with a wave of his hand. He turned his attention back to his flamboyant guest and smiled.

"I do appreciate you coming to Portland, especially on such short notice," the baron simply nodded and smiled, so Eric continued, "but, for now at least, we will not be requiring your special services."

"I don't understand," the baron said with a frown, "your father was very specific about what he wanted done."

"I know, and I do apologize for the change of plans," Eric said apologetically, "but an unexpected opportunity to resolve this matter in a more amicable manner has arisen, and to be frank, if I can lure the grimm to Vienna willingly, it would be much better for our future relationship with him."

The baron nodded, but continued to frown, so Eric continued, "Of course, should these efforts fail, I will be calling on you to continue with our original plan. In the meantime, you are welcome to continue staying here at the hotel, at the family's expense. We are always appreciative to your for your continued loyalty."

"The family has always been kind to me," the baron replied with a smile, although Eric could still see that the change of plans baffled the man, "I will await your further instructions."

Eric watched him go, then waved over one of his men.

"Make sure the baron gets whatever he needs," Eric told him, "and keep an eye on him. I have no desire for his baser instincts to take over and ruin our carefully laid plans."

The man nodded his understanding and quickly left the room, leaving Eric once more alone with his thoughts. His peace was somewhat short lived, the door to the penthouse opening a few minutes later to allow Adalind to enter.

"Did you enjoy your time with Portland's finest," Eric asked, turning at her entrance.

"It was delightful," Adalind answered sarcastically, "especially in a dress and heels."

"And what did they want with you, my dear," Eric asked, trying to keep the suspicion out of his voice.

"My mother disappeared shortly before I left for Idaho," Adalind replied without hesitation, "they were curious about what I knew about it as I was likely the last person to see her. Not to mention I left town around the same time she disappeared. Didn't exactly make me look too good."

"I suppose not," Eric murmured, "its all cleared up now?"

Adalind shrugged, sitting down on the couch across from him, "for now, at least. Although I'm sure that Sean would love to be able to lock me up if he could."

"My brother is an idiot," Eric replied, setting down his glass and looking at her, "how could he not recognize the treasure that he had in you."

"Too short sighted," Adalind replied with a tight smile, then her brow furrowed as she looked at the table where Eric had just set his glass, "did you have company while I was gone?"

Eric looked down and saw that the baron's glass was still sitting on the table, and he silently cursed his incompetent staff. Outwardly, he smiled smoothly at Adalind.

"Of course not," he answered easily, "I asked one of the men to have a drink with me. I don't like drinking alone, is all. Speaking of which, would you like a drink?"

"What I would like is to take a hot shower and climb into a warm bed," Adalind replied. Eric raised a questioning eyebrow and smiled slightly, but she glared at him and added emphatically, "Alone."

"Your loss," Eric said with an easy shrug as she walked away, closing the door to her room. He heard the lock engage and he chuckled lightly to himself. He hoped that his confidence in her was not misplaced. He did find her somewhat diverting, and he would hate to have to set the baron on her should things not go as planned.

%%%%%

Adalind wrapped the large, fluffy hotel robe around her as she stepped out of the shower. She toweled off her hair and then sighed as she looked around the luxuriously appointed room. Not too long ago, these accommodations, and her suite mate, would have thrilled her. But now, they just made her feel very isolated, away from the warmth not only of Nick and her new found friends, but of the comfort of her grandparents farm. Perhaps not so much the farm itself, but of the people who lived there. Adalind sighed and pushed the thoughts from her mind. She had a job to do here, and dwelling on the comforts of home were too distracting.

Setting her mind to the task at hand, Adalind walked to the door and pressed her ear up against it, straining to hear any sounds from the other side. Hearing nothing, she chanced cracking the door, peeking out into the room. Finding it dim and empty, she took a deep breath and stepped out of her room, her gaze scanning the room for any hidden hundjagers. Confident that she was alone, she moved silently to the table where she had seen the glass left by Eric's mystery guest. Her prayers were answered as she noted that the used glasses had not yet been cleared away. She took a napkin from the nearby bar, and gently picked up the glass. Adlind heard a sudden movement behind her and she turned quickly, hiding the glass in her behind her.

"Was there something you needed?" one of Eric's men loomed in the doorway and Adalind took a deep breath before smiling boldly.

"Not at all," Adalind replied, her hand clutching the glass behind her, "Was just going to pour myself a nightcap to enjoy in my room. Always helps me sleep when I'm in a new place."

The man eyed her suspiciously, and Adalind realized he was waiting for to actually pour the drink. Turning away from the man, Adalind deftly slipped the glass into one of the large pockets of her voluminous robe before taking a clean glass and filling it with liquid from the first decanter she put her hand on.

"Can I pour your one, as well?" Adalind asked over her shoulder.

"No, thank you," the man replied, and Adalind could tell that the man was still slightly suspicious of her behavior, "the Prince doesn't approve of us drinking while on the job."

Adalind filed away that piece of information, which further supported her belief that Eric had been lying earlier when he had said that he was drinking with one of his men.

"Suit yourself," Adalind said with a smile, walking back towards her room. She stopped just short and gestured to the other glass Eric had left on the table, "I would suggest having someone clean that up before Prince Eric returns to this room. You know how he hates a mess."

The man nodded before quickly moving to the table and cleaning off the remaining used glass, wiping the surface with a napkin.

"Have a good night," Adalind said sweetly, closing the door and locking it behind her once more. While she had no doubt that the hundjager could easily break down the door if needed, it still gave her a sense of security against intrusion. Moving to her bag, Adalind quickly fished out her phone and tapped out a message to Nick, her words as vague as possible, but hopefully conveying the fact that she needed to see him sooner rather than later. Tapping her chin thoughtfully, a sudden thought occurred to her and she picked up her phone once more, dialing a now familiar number. At the second ring, her friends voice picked up and Adalind smiled.

"Rosalee, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice," Adalind said.

"I was just about to say the same thing," Rosalee replied, her smile evident in her voice, "how are you?"

Adalind heard her friends concern and was warmed by it, but she answered simply, "I'm okay. I was just hoping maybe we could meet tomorrow? Get some lunch, like we used to?"

"Of course," Rosalee answered quickly, "Same cafe as usual? Noon?"

"Perfect," Adalind said with a sigh of relief. The sooner she could pass of the glass to Rosalee to get to Nick, the better. No way did she want to get caught with it.

"Great! I'll see you then," Rosalee replied, and the two women exchanged goodbyes before hanging up.

Adalind pulled on her pajamas and climbed into bed, slightly guilty that she was involving her friend in something so dangerous. There was no help for it, though, and she finally drifted off to sleep.

%%%%%

Nick stopped at the Spice Shop first thing the next morning, eager to update Monroe and Rosalee on Adalind's situation with the Royals.

"Hey Nick," Monroe called from behind the front counter when he spied his friend, "have fun at the big party last night? No offense, but if I had to put on a monkey suit and sit through all those speeches, man, I would probably quit….but, you don't look to worse for wear, so I guess it didn't go too badly."

"Adalind showed up," Nick said, and at Monroe's shocked face, he continued, "with Eric."

"Renard's brother Eric?" Monroe still couldn't hide his surprise, "as in, the Royals. They already have her?"

"Well, 'have her' may be a bit dramatic, but yeah, she is with them right now," Nick replied, "trying to get more information from them."

"She called Rosalee last night, but she didn't mention any of this," Monroe said with a shake of his head, "I mean, maybe she couldn't, ya know. I'm not sure I like this, Nick. They're supposed to have lunch today. What if it's a set up?"

"You know Adalind wouldn't put Rosalee in danger," Nick replied, although he felt concerned as well, "but I also think that she may use Rosalee as a way to get information to me. She's worried about letting on how close we are, so they may be less suspicious of her spending time with another woman, especially if she is wesen. They wouldn't necessarily think a grimm would have a fuchsbau as friend."

"But how long will that last," Monroe wasn't appeased, "they are going to find that connection soon enough."

"You're right," Nick said in agreement, "but the thing is, the royals want me on their side. They have no reason to show hostility towards anyone connected with me."

"Until they realize that you aren't planning on moving to Vienna to become their in-house wesen assassin," Monroe said sarcastically, "then what?"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Nick replied evenly, "Adalind is trying to figure out what their next play is. It's hard to know what to plan for when we don't know exactly what they are up to."

"Well, I guess I hope she is meeting Rosalee to get information to you," Monroe said, changing his tune, "then maybe we will know what we're up against."

%%%%%

Adalind didn't emerge from her room until it was almost time for her lunch with Rosalee. Eric looked up as she walked into the room, forcing a smile on her face as she greeted him.

"Good morning," she said brightly, then laughed lightly, tossing her hair over her shoulder, "although I suppose it is almost afternoon now, isn't it?"

Adalind knew what he expected of her, what his assumptions about hexenbiests were. So that is what she would hand him as he clearly didn't believe that the loss of her powers would cause a corresponding change in her behaviour. So she would play the part - vain, ruthless, power hungry. Not to mention a bit materialistic, making it much easier to get out of the hotel. No way would Eric want to come along with her on a shopping trip.

"Are you always such a late sleeper," Eric asked as he sat on the couch.

"Only when I'm on holiday," she responded, "as a lawyer, I was up at dawn, and out all night. I may prefer the lady of leisure lifestyle."

"Well, if you deliver for us, this can be your new life," Eric said with a lazy smile, "of course, you will be in Vienna instead of Portland, but that can only be seen as an improvement."

Adalind smiled, even as she cringed inwardly, "Well, I'm going to see what the city shops have to offer, then have lunch with a friend. When are you going to have me meet with the grimm again?"

Eric eyed her for a moment, then answered, "Tomorrow night. We'll invite him here. Hopefully all of this can be settled then and we can be back on our way to Vienna by the end of the week. All of us."

"Tomorrow?!" Adalind couldn't hide her surprise, "I'm not sure that will be enough time to convince him to give up everything to come with us."

"I have faith in you," Eric said smoothly, standing and walking towards her, rubbing his hands up and down her arms, "perhaps you should meet with him tonight…..alone. I think he may be a bit smitten with you."

Adalind snorted and tried to look unimpressed, "I doubt that. How many grimms do you know like hexenbiests?"

"He doesn't have to like you to want you," Eric replied, "so how far are you willing to go to convince him that it is worth his while to come to Vienna."

"You're a pig," Adalind said, pulling away from him and walking to the door.

"Perhaps, my dear," Eric replied, not looking towards her as he looked out the window, "but if you can't convince him to come with us, I don't believe anyone will be happy with the consequences."

Adalind slipped out the door without answering, holding her bag snug against her in a protective gesture. She needed to get this glass to Rosalee for Nick. She hoped it would be enough to tell them who, or what, Eric was working with.

The door suddenly opened behind her and she jumped, her grip on her bag tightening.

"What do you want," she asked the man when he didn't take any further action.

"His highness wants you protected," the man said, presuming that was enough information. Adalind sighed in resignation, realizing that she would have a bodyguard along for the day.

"Well, let's get going," Adalind bit out, "and try and keep up."

%%%%%

Rosalee waited impatiently at the cafe. She was early, but she hoped that Adalind would be, too. She was anxious to see her friend. Mostly because she had missed her, but also because she knew what was at stake. Monroe and Nick had gotten her up to speed before the meeting, and Rosalee was hopeful that Adalind would have something useful to pass along.

Ten minutes later, Adalind breezed in, looking more like the old Adalind than Rosalee had expected. It took her a bit by surprise, but she told herself that Adalind was just playing a part. Their eyes met, and Adalind's face softened. Rosalee let out a breath, and she smiled, knowing this was the Adalind who had become her friend. Her eyes narrowed, however, as another man followed her through the door. Adalind seemed to know him and was giving him some sort of direction. He nodded and took a table near the door while Adalind headed in her direction. When she reached the table, Rosalee stood and hugged the other woman.

"I'm so happy to see you," Adalind breathed into her ear, then pulled back and smiled.

"Me, too," Rosalee answered, although her eyes nervously went to the man in the corner of the restaurant, "but who is your friend."

Adalind gave a huff and sat down in her chair, "definitely not my friend. He's one of Eric's bodyguards. I'm not sure if he is protecting me, or just keeping tabs on me. Probably some combination of both, I suppose."

"Oh," Rosalee wasn't sure what else to say, so she asked, "Nick told us you're working with the resistance to infiltrate the royals, but how did all of this happen?"

"You're friend Ian," Adalind said, a bit bitterly. Rosalee looked at her questiongly, and Adalind continued, "he sold me out to his resistance friends, and they thought I would make great bait for the Royals. Not that he bothered to ask me first. Jerk."

Rosalee shook her head, "typical Ian. I loved the guy, but the cause always came first with him. I'm sorry Adalind."

Adalind waved away her apology, "It's fine. To be honest, I'm glad I could help. Make me feel useful again."

"Still," Rosalee responded, "it wasn't a position he should have put you in."

"I suppose I could have said no," Adalind said, "although I'm not really sure what Eric would have done if I had refused his offer."

The waiter came and took their order, and they halted their conversation. As soon as the man left, Rosalee leaned in to the table, her eyes wide.

"Nick said Eric offered to help you get your hexenbiest back," when Adalind nodded, Rosalee sat back, "that's quite an offer."

"Yeah, and one that he had no doubt I would jump at," Adalind said, a bit bitterly, "but I have no plans on going back down that road."

"I'm glad," Rosalee said with a smile.

"But I didn't just come her to catch up on life, although that has been great," Adalind glanced at the bodyguard, then back to Rosalee, "I have something I need you to get to Nick."

Adalind slid a wrapped package over to Rosalee and she looked at it warily.

"What is it?"

"Last night, when I got back to the hotel, I noticed Eric had two glasses sitting out," Adalind said in a low voice, "He said he was drinking with one of his men, but I know that he doesn't, as a rule, let them drink, so I was suspicious. I know he has a back up plan for the possibility of Nick not leaving Portland willingly, so I think whoever he was meeting with may be involved with that. I'm hoping his fingerprints or something may still be on the glass."

"That was quick thinking," Rosalee said, placing the wrapped box in her bag, "I'll see if I can find anything wesen related on it, as well."

"Thank you," Adalind said, as their food arrived at the table, "now that that's out of the way, tell me everything I've missed."

%%%%%

Nick paced the floor of Rosalee's shop as he and Monroe waited for her to return, hopefully with information from Adalind.

"How long does it take to have lunch?" Nick's agitation seemed to amuse Monroe slightly.

"Well, not all of us view eating as an inconvenience that interrupts our day," Monroe responded, "some people like to have a leisurely meal, taking the time to enjoy each course, not to mention have meaningful conversation with their dinner companion."

Nick stopped and glared at his friend, "you know what I mean. They both know that we're waiting here for them. The least they could do is skip dessert."

"Skip dessert?" Monroe was aghast, his hand flying to his heart, "perish the thought."

They both heard the bell on the front door ring, and Nick heaved a sigh of relief as Rosalee entered the shop, looking happy enough that they could conclude nothing terrible had happened at lunch.

"So?" Nick asked, "did she have anything for you?"

"Oh yeah," Rosalee said, pulling a box from her bag, "hopefully this will tell us everything we need to know."


	24. Chapter 24

Thanks for the reviews, follows and favs - I hope you enjoy this chapter :) We're setting up for the big confrontation now, so I have lifted some language from the show, specifically from the last two episodes of season two - hopefully it wasn't too much over explaining, but I didn't want to assume that everyone had watched season two recently.

 **CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**

"Baron Samedi," Wu said, and Nick looked up from the report that he had been pretending to work on.

"What?" Nick asked, confused, and Wu rolled his eyes at him.

"More like 'who?' Wu replied, leaning a hip on his desk. Nick pushed back in his chair and looked up at the other man, a questioning on his face.

"Okay," Nick said slowly, "Who?"

"Baron Samedi," Wu repeated, a smug look on his face, "we were able to lift a full set of prints from the glass that you gave me, which, I have to add, was a pretty big favor. In payment, I would like to finally be let in on the secret."

"Secret?" Nick asked, hoping that he appeared innocent, "there's no secret."

"Then why did you need the fingerprints from this glass," Wu asked, dangling the plastic bag holding the glass between two fingers.

Nick was functioning on too little sleep to come up with a plausible answer, so he sighed and gave as honest an answer as he could.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Nick sighed, "and you would probably think I was crazy."

"Try me," Wu said, sarcasm edging his words, "believe me, I've seen some stuff."

"I know you have," Nick said, sitting forward and looking the other man in the eye, "and I promise you that I am not asking you to do anything dirty. If you're worried, we can talk about it with the Captain. He knows what's going on."

That wasn't one hundred percent true, as Nick hadn't shared with him what Adalind had taken from Eric's hotel room, but he knew that Renard would back him up and ask questions later.

"Of course I don't think you're doing something dirty," Wu huffed indignantly, "I just don't like feeling out of the loop. I'm already helping….imagine how much more I could help if I actually knew what was happening."

Nick sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes. He was tired of hiding things from his coworker and friend, but the more people he involved, the more out of control the situation could become.

"Give me a few days," Nick hedged, and when Wu cocked an unbelieving eyebrow at him, he continued, "trust me when I tell you this won't be an easy conversation that we are going to have, so I have to make sure I do it in the right way, okay?"

Wu eyed him for a long moment, then nodded, "Okay, I suppose that it will have to be enough for now."

"Thanks," Nick heaved a sigh of relief, then turned his attention back to the file that Wu had put on his desk, "Now let's talk about this Baron Samedi."

"Well, despite the size of that file, there isn't much to tell," Wu replied, "a few assault charges here and there, but nothing ever seems to stick. Doesn't seem to stay in one place too long, either."

Nick continued looking through the file, frowning at the report until he something caught his eye.

"But there seems to be one place that he frequents quite often."

"I noticed that, too," Wu replied, "didn't really think it meant much of anything, except maybe he had expensive tastes in vacations."

Nick picked up a picture of Baron Samedi and sat back in his chair.

"And just what were you doing in Vienna."

%%%%%

Adalind tapped her foot nervously as she watched Eric speak low into his cell phone. She strained to hear what he was saying, but she could barely pick anything up. And what she could hear was in french, and she had to admit that she was a little rusty. He hung up and turned back towards her, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Well, my dear, looks like my father is growing a bit impatient," Eric said as he sat next to her.

"We've been here less than three days," Adalind replied a bit incredulously.

"My father is not used to waiting for things, I'm afraid," Eric replied, and Adalind thought she heard a bit of bitterness creep into his tone.

"What do you want me to do?" Adalind asked quietly, wringing her hands nervously, and he turned his smile back on her.

"Call the grimm," Eric replied, "Tell him you want to meet, tonight, to talk about…..his future. It's time to convince him that his best option, his only option, really, is to come to Vienna with us. To work with the family. The world is such a confused place, but with a singular vision and purpose, we can bring order to the chaos. The grimm is our first step in securing this new future, this new order."

"Those are some high expectations," Adalind said, not a little disbelieving.

Eric shrugged, "Of course, why expect anything else."

Adalind snorted and Eric continued, "This grimm is just the first step, my dear. Others will follow, and together we will take back control of the wesen council, and with it, the wesen community. Harnessing that kind of power will help secure the future of the family, and our place in the world."

Adalind continued to stare at him, and Eric sighed, "But let's keep it simple for you, shall we. Call the grimm. Meet him. Convince him with your considerable charm that he should return to Vienna with us. And then you will have everything you desire - the return of your powers and a place of prominence within the family."

Adalind swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded, trying to muster up a smile.

"And if I can't convince him?" Adalind asked.

"Well, hopefully that won't be an issue," Eric said, then a cold smile tipped up the corners of his mouth, "but we have a plan in place for that eventuality. So I suggest you use whatever influence you have tonight. Otherwise, things might get a little messy."

"Understood," Adalind replied, standing, "I'll make the call."

%%%%%

Nick had a name, but not much else to go on. He headed to the Spice Shop on the chance that Rosalee had found something of wesen significance on the glass. The shop was quiet when he entered, but he heard the low hum of voices coming from the backroom.

"Hello," Nick called out in greeting as he walked towards the back.

"Hey Nick," Monroe responded, "We're in the back."

"I hope you found something interesting," Nick said in greeting, "because I don't have much of anything."

Rosalee shook her head, "Sorry, Nick, I couldn't get anything from the glass that would indicate this individual was wesen."

Nick sighed, "and all I got was a name. And the fact that this guy, Baron Samedi, likes to frequent Vienna."

"Wait a minute, did you just say Baron Samedi?" Monroe asked with sudden interest.

"Yeah, why?" Nick asked, "does that name mean something to you?"

"Yeah, I mean, that name is legendary," Monroe said, looking from Nick to Rosalee. They looked at him expectantly and Monroe sighed.

"Baron Samedi is the name of one of the lao, or spirits, of Haitian vodou, specifically the spirit of death. Interestingly, he is also considered the spirit of resurrection. Talk about your mixed messages."

"Well, this has to be some weird coincidence, right?" Nick asked, "I mean, this is a real person, with fingerprints and a rap sheet. Maybe parents with a weird sense of humor?"

"Do you have a picture of this guy?" Monroe asked, and Nick nodded, putting the file that Wu had given him on the table. He thumbed through a few pages and then pulled out a photo and handed it to Monroe, who nodded as he looked it over.

"Yeah, that looks right," Monroe said, "purple coat, flamboyant shirt…..looks a little too happy to be getting his mug shot taken."

"That can be said for a lot people," Nick said dryly.

"Okay, true enough," Monroe replied, "but I just have a feeling about this guy. I think we need to hit the books, see if there are any references to someone, or something, that shares some of these characteristics."

"Okay," Nick responded slowly, before sighing, "we don't really have any other leads, so we might as well see where this idea of yours goes."

"I'll stay here and see if I can find anything in my parent's books," Rosalee said with a smile, "we'll figure this out."

"If there is something to figure out," Nick muttered as he followed Monroe out the door.

"Hey, have I ever steered you wrong?" Monroe asked, then held up a hand before Nick could answer "you know what, nevermind, don't answer that."

%%%%%

Sean Renard woke up slowly, his head pounding. What was supposed to have been his night had quickly spiraled out of his control. His brother showing up, Adalind making a power play…..it had all ruined what was supposed to have been another milestone in his career. While his life goals were much loftier than Portland, there was no reason not to grab power where he could.

He had come home after meeting with Adalind and Nick at the jail and promptly started drinking. When Juliette had showed up half way through his binge, he had ignored her questions about Adalind's arrival in Portland and instead put his pent up passions to better use.

At least, at the time, he had thought it was a better use. Waking up with a pounding, but somehow clear head, he had to face the fact that he had acted impulsively. His goal had been to reunite Juliette with Nick, not start an affair with her himself. He glanced over at his bed companion and sighed. Well, there was no helping it now. And if he was honest, he had to admit that Nick had seemed largely unaffected by his fake relationship with Juliette. Maybe a real one would be more convincing…

Juliette opened her eyes and looked at him, and he worked up a smile.

"Good morning," he said, feeling a bit awkward.

"Morning," Juliette replied, sitting up and pulling the sheets tightly around her. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, and Sean cleared his throat.

"Why don't I go make some coffee," he said, grabbing a robe and tying it loosely around his waist, "I'll give you some privacy."

Sean made his way into the kitchen and set about making coffee, rubbing a weary hand across his neck. Juliette walked in not five minutes later, and he couldn't fail to notice that she hadn't gotten dressed, instead pulling one of his shirt on. With his height, and her lack thereof, it fell below mid thigh.

"We need to talk about last night," she said abruptly, sitting on one of the stools at the counter.

"Look, Juliette, I like you, but…" Sean started to say as he set a cup coffee in front of her, but he stopped talking when she abruptly cut him off.

"No, not that," she said impatiently, "I want to know what Adalind is doing in town. And why is she with your brother?"

"Oh," Sean responded, looking down at his cup, "that."

"Yeah, that," Juliette replied with huff, "I saw the way Nick looked at her. He looked at her like…."

Juliette stumbled over the words, and instead of finishing the statement, she took a long sip of coffee. Sean regarded her for a moment and wondered how much he should share with her. He was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to share everything with her, to have someone that he could talk to that wasn't only listening because they were being paid to do so, or because they had a common enemy. Someone who would be an ally out of choice, not convenience.

"My brother wants a grimm," Sean started, "he wants access to certain knowledge and skills that grimm's possess, and in Nick's case, a certain item of importance. A great deal of importance, actually."

"Okay….." Juliette responded, "So what does Adalind have to do with any of that?"

"My brother has been convinced that she holds some sway over Nick," Sean replied, watching carefully as her eyebrow arched slightly, "and they are hoping she can influence him to leave Portland willingly."

"And she agreed to help them?" Juliette asked, and then gave a harsh little laugh, "I knew that bitch was bad news."

"Actually, she is working as a double agent," Sean told her, although defending Adalind left a bad taste in his mouth, "she is hoping to find out more about the family's plan for Nick."

"And you guys trust her?" Juliette was incredulous, "what did the royals offer her in exchange for her help?"

Sean hesitated and then replied, "they offered her the return of her hexenbiest."

Juliette was startled in to silence for a moment before responding, "they can do that?"

Sean nodded, "a hexenbiest is one of only a very few wesen that can be created. Because the hexenbiest is actually a separate entity within a human, the spirit can be summoned, for lack of a better word, to inhabit the host. It is not an easy process, although, to be honest, I don't actually know what exactly it entails."

"Interesting," Juliette murmured, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere. Sean watched her for a moment then cleared his throat. She looked up at him with an expectant look.

"Was there anything else you wanted to know?" he asked.

She shook her head absently for a moment, then smiled, "No, you've given me plenty to think about."

%%%%%

Nick was getting a bit frustrated. They had been at the trailer for what seemed like hours and had turned up nothing to support Monroe's idea that Baron Samedi's name was related to a certain type of wesen. He looked up and saw that Monroe was still feverishly working through the books, but Nick felt increasingly helpless. How would he be able to extract Adalind, not to mention himself, from the Royals' grasp.

Just when he was about to voice these frustrations, Monroe suddenly let out a victorious cry and Nick walked over to his friend, whose eyes were bright with satisfaction.

"I knew it!," Monroe practically shouted, pushing the book closer to Nick and jabbing a finger towards the passage that he had found. Nick bent his head to read, but Monroe started reading aloud, his excitement palpable.

"He was referred to as the Baron, with several names attached to him. Samedi, Cimetière, La Croix, and Kriminel. He is the head of the Guédé Family of Loa, one of the Vodou deities, who accepts those who have died into the realm of the dead. Later, I was to witness him wake a man who appeared to be lifeless, and who was about to be buried. When I finally found the courage to confront him, I found that I was dealing with a Cracher-Mortel, whose spit can induce a death like trance."

Monroe finished the passage and looked up eagerly at Nick.

"He's a Cracher-Mortel!" He exclaimed, then continued, "they kinda have a puffer fish look to them. The puffier they get, the more spit they have. And the more spit they have, well….."

Monroe didn't finish the sentence and Nick nodded.

"So we know what he is," Nick said, "but that still doesn't tell us his plan."

"True," Monroe said, his excitement dimming slightly, "but at least we aren't flying blind anymore."

"Yeah, now it's more like flying near-sighted," Nick said with a grim smile. His phone started buzzing in his pocket and he fished it out of his jacket pocket. He looked up at Monroe, "It's Adalind."

"Play it cool," Monroe replied, "you never know who could be listening."

Nick nodded as he answered the phone, "Adalind."

"Nick," came the reply, and her aloof tone told Nick she definitely wasn't alone, "I was hoping that we could meet tonight, talk about you future?"

"My future?" Nick tried to sound distrusting.

"With the family," Adalind replied smoothly, "and the limitless opportunities you could have with them."

"Where?" Nick asked, his desire to end the situation making him impatient.

"Your place, seven o'clock," Adalind responded, her answer not a question so much as a command, "and let's be sure that the two of us are alone."

"I'll see you there," Nick responded, disconnecting the call before she could say anything else. Nick took a deep breath and looked up at Monroe, "we need to end this thing, one way or another. We're running out of time."

Monroe nodded in agreement, "Let's head back to the Spice Shop, see if Rosalee knows anything about this Cracher-Mortel."

"Actually, I think we should ask someone who knows how the royal family works," Nick said slowly, Monroe narrowing his eyes in question, "I think it's time to talk to Renard."

%%%%%

"Well, that was simple enough," Eric said when Adalind set her phone back on the table between them.

"Nick isn't stupid," Adalind replied, her words holding more meaning than Eric knew, "he won't let this opportunity slip away."

"That's good to hear," Eric smiled, "I would hate for this to turn ugly."

"And just what are you planning to do if I can't convince him?" Adalind asked, knowing he would evade as he usually did when she asked the question.

"Don't you worry about that," Eric's answer was no surprise, and she suppressed a sigh, "I have every confidence in your abilities."

Adalind gave a tired smile and stood, "I think I'll take a rest before tonight."

"A wonderful idea," Eric also stood, and she narrowed her eyes at him. He chuckled lightly, "A wonderful idea _for you_ , my dear. I wouldn't want to exhaust you before this evening. You have a very important job to do. And I have some meeting to attend to while in town, so I'll leave you to your rest."

Adalind walked slowly to her room and closed the door, sitting on the bed with a sigh. She strained to hear what was happening outside her door. Once the penthouse had gone silent, she waited a solid five minutes before venturing back into the main living area, her eyes scanning the room. She wasn't naive enough to believe that Eric had left her alone, but there were no guards in the room. She assumed that they were stationed at the exterior doors, but she moved quietly all the same.

Eric's room was on the opposite side of the penthouse, positioned off the living area, just as Adalind's was. The plush carpet made it easy for her to move silently to the door, resting her hand on the door handle. She hesitated a moment, taking a deep breath before pushing down and swinging the door inward. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found the room empty. She shuddered to think how she would have explained her actions to Eric had he been in his room.

Not exactly sure what she should be looking for, Adalind rummaged first through the drawers, finding nothing but socks and other clothing stored there. She moved to the closet and was again disappointed to find exactly what you would expect - suits, ties, shoes. She gave a huff of frustration and sat on the small cushioned stool positioned in the middle of the closet, contemplating her next move when she noticed a leather briefcase partially hidden between two large suitcases.

Furrowing her brow, she crouched down on to her knees and pulled the case free from where it was wedged. Relieved that there was no lock, she slid the clasp free and opened the bag. Peering inside, she was a bit disappointed to find that the case was full of travel papers, although she wasn't really sure what she was hoping to find. Sighing, she pulled out one of the passports and flipped it open. Her disappointment turned to surprise as she looked at the picture of the individual in the passport. It was Nick, but the name and other information had been changed.

Adalind supposed she shouldn't be surprised. Eric clearly believed that Nick would be returning with them to Vienna, she just hadn't known they would want Nick to assume a totally new identity. Her interest peaked, Adalind pulled another paper from the bag, her mouth dropping open as she read.

The document was a death certificate - but it held today's date, and the name on the certificate matched the one on the fake passport that had Nick's picture. Flipping to the next document, she found a body transport certificate, for the same name. Sitting back on her heels, Adalind continued to stare at the two documents, trying to puzzle out what Eric was trying to accomplish. A dead grimm was less than useless to the royal family, and even if Eric did have him killed, why would he need a death certificate and passport for him? What good would it do to transport Nick's body back to Vienna?

Adalind was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the voices that were coming closer to the room until it was too late. She heard Eric's distinct voice as she hastily shoved all the documents back into the bag and returned it to small space it had been wedged in earlier. Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options. If she made her presence known, Eric would think she was in his room for one reason…..and she wasn't quite prepared to make that sacrifice. The only other option was to hide and hope for the opportunity to sneak out later. It was just as risky, but she couldn't think of any other reasonable explanations for her presence in Eric's room. Tucking herself in the back corner of the closet, she prayed that Eric wouldn't come into the closet, and if he did, that the shadows would help cover her.

"Were there any issues getting into the grimm's house?" Eric's voice drifted closer and Adalind held her breath, afraid to make any noise.

"Not at all," the answer came from another man, "will you tell Ms. Schade about the listening devices that were planted?"

"I don't think so," Eric answered, "I'm quite interested in how she will interact with the grimm when she thinks no one else is listening."

"Very good, your highness. Is there anything else you require?"

"Not right now," Eric's voice was even closer now, and Adalind tried to make herself even smaller, her eyes never leaving the door, anticipating it to opening at any moment, "I think I'll take a shower before tonight's events. That will be all."

Adalind heard the door to the room shut, and a few moments later, the shower in the adjoining bath turned on. She waited several moments, then moved to the closet door, pulling it open and taking a quick look before making a dash to the door. She let herself out of the room, and breathed a sigh of relief that no one had been positioned outside the door. She took a deep breath and walked quickly to her own room, shutting the door behind her.

After the fear of being caught started to abate, Adalind's thoughts went back to the documents that she had found.

"What the hell is Eric up to," Adalind muttered to herself.

%%%%%

"What do you know about Cracher-Mortels?" Nick asked Renard, not bothering to preface his question. He had dropped Monroe off at the shop with Rosalee to gather any useful information they could find. He was more interested, however, in the ties between the royal family and this particular wesen.

"Why do you ask?" Renard countered with his own question, rocking back in his chair. Nick narrowed his eyes, but kept his cool.

"Why do you think?" he replied coolly.

Renard looked thoughtful for a moment, then responded, "well, it wouldn't surprise me if my family had one or two in their employ. They have been known to help stir up the masses in times of revolution. They are able to create what could be called zombie-like armies - they are easy to command, and can create a great deal of chaos and unrest."

"Any reason why your brother would bring one here?" Nick asked.

Renard raised a brow, "well, creating chaos here would cause problems for me, but since he is here more to recruit you to his cause, I'm not sure that would be his only goal. It would need to somehow tie in to him trying to lure you away. I suppose it would divide my focus, make me less likely to have an active chance of convincing you to stay."

"Seems like a lot of trouble to go to," Nick said blandly.

"Well, they royals never do anything halfway," Renard replied, then asked, "how do you know that he has a cracher-mortel?"

"Adalind," Nick answered without elaboration.

"I see," Renard watched him, "you still trust her?"

"I do," Nick stood, "thanks for the information. When I know more, I'll let you know."

"I'm meeting with my brother tonight," Renard said suddenly, standing, "So if I find out anything, I'll let you know."

Nick nodded and started to walk out, then stopped, "don't mention the cracher-mortel. I don't want them to start to distrust Adalind."

Renard nodded, "of course."

Nick walked out of Renard's office, hoping that he was right to trust his Captain. He needed to stop at the Spice Shop and see if Monroe and Rosalee had found anything helpful about the cracher-mortel, then he needed to get home and wait for Adalind.

He was both anxious and wary for that particular meeting. While he was glad they would have time together, it would have been better if they hadn't been dealing with life and death. Of course, when had they ever had a time when they weren't dealing with life and death.

Pulling up to the Spice Shop, Nick walked in, the familiar sound of the bell on the door somehow soothing when everything else seemed so out of control. The front of the shop was empty, and Monroe's head popped out from the back. When he saw that it was Nick, he waved him to the back where he found Rosalee pouring over a book on her work table.

"I take it you found something?" Nick asked with a small smile.

"Oh yeah," Monroe replied, before turning to Rosalee.

"I've got several books on wesen dammerzustand….wesen trances," Rosalee said without looking up, "There's a pretty big pharmacology associated with this."

"And that's what this cracher-mortel can do?" Nick asked, "put people in a trance?"

"Yes, the dammerzustand can induce paralysis, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucination , and the temporary illusion o f death," Rosalee continued reading.

"Is there a treatment?"

"There seems to be, but it looks like there are three stages," Rosalee replied with a furrowed brow, "First is paralysis, second is a drugged-like state in which they can move, and then it progresses to the third stage, which to all appearances is death. Then comes the last stage…."

"What is it?" Nick asked worriedly as Rosalee trailed off.

"The fourth stage is increasingly violent behaviour which, basically leads to murder and mayhem," Monroe finished, reading over Rosalee's shoulder.

"So if this Baron starts infecting people, we need to treat them in the first stage," Nick replied.

"The treatment is only effective once they reach the final stage," Rosalee said with a shake of her head, "administered before that time, it would be fatal."

"Of course it is," Nick asked with a sigh, "so what is the treatment?"

"We have to stimulate the central nervous system," Rosalee looked up, "and the most effective way is with a shot. Three shots, actually, administered simultaneously. The doses will take a while to prepare, but I think I have everything we need."

"Do it," Nick said, "we need to be prepared if this Baron guy decides to start a revolution in Portland."

"I'll get started," Rosalee said with a nod.

"Thanks," Nick replied, walking towards the door, "I have to get to my place. Adalind is coming over tonight."

"Well, let us know if you decide to work for the royal family," Monroe said with a grin, "we just may come with you. I don't want to be here if Portland is going to turn into the Walking Dead."

%%%%%

"You look lovely!" Eric said enthusiastically as he looked Adalind up and down with a gleam in his eye, "he won't be able to say no to you."

"Well, that is the point," Adalind replied a bit sarcastically. She had been trying to work out in her mind how she would let Nick know that his house was currently bugged, and was cautiously optimistic that she had a way of letting him know that wouldn't tip of Eric and his minions.

"Well, I will bid you good evening," Eric said holding the door open for her, "And please, if you feel it necessary, I won't be offended if you decide to spend the night with the grimm."

"How sweet," Adalind said with a cold smile.

"All for a good cause, my dear," Eric replied, "just think of all you have to gain if you get his agreement."

Eric didn't wait for her to respond, instead closing the door on her and her chosen driver for the evening.

The ride to Nick's house seemed to take longer than she remembered, and she felt like a jumble of nerves by the time she reached his door. Eric's guard (presumably a hundjager) remained parked in front of the house, informing her he would be there until she decided to return to the hotel.

She raised a hand to the door, but it swung open before she had the chance to knock. Nick took her outstretched hand and pulled her inside, his gaze doing a quick sweep up and done, as if to ascertain her physical well being.

"Are you okay?" His eyes searched her for verbal confirmation that she had not been mistreated by the royals. Knowing they were listening, she smiled up at him.

"Of course," she replied, keeping her voice as level as possible, "the royal family treats those in service to them very well. Something I am hopeful you'll soon find out."

Nick cocked his head at her, clearly confused at her tone, but he kept his answer simple, "Really?"

"Of course," Adalind continued, "the royal family wants only to bring prosperity and peace to this chaotic world. To help those that clearly cannot help themselves. And we can be part of that."

Nick looked at her as if she had two heads, and she could see he was working himself up to ask her what the hell she was talking about. Not wanting to give him the opportunity, she stepped close to him, and put her lips to his, kissing him hard before pulling away slightly, and putting her lips to his ear.

"They're listening," Adalind said quietly, and she felt Nick nod his understanding. In a normal voice, she continued, "take me upstairs."

He pulled back and looked at her with a questioning gaze, but with her eyes, she begged him to go along with her request. He nodded again and she took him by the hand, leading him through the bedroom into the adjoining bath and turning on the water.

"Perfect," he said in sudden understanding. Adalind smiled, knowing that the sound of the water would likely drown out the sound of their voices. It was really the only shot that they had at having any privacy.

Ignoring what would otherwise be an erotic moment, they hastily stripped down and stepped into the shower.

"Smart," Nick said with a half grin, "although it will be a bit difficult to concentrate on anything you have to say with you all wet and naked."

"Well, you're gonna have to focus, because I have things to tell you," Adalind said, pressing herself firmly to him so she could keep her voice as low as possible.

"Not helping," Nick said, half groaning.

"Well this will sober you up," Adalind replied, not willing to admit that she was affected by his presence, as well, "I found papers in Eric's room - a passport, death certificate, and a body transport permit."

"Definitely disturbing," Nick responded slowly, waiting for her to elaborate.

"The papers were for you," Adalind responded, "I mean, it was your photo on the passport, but a different name."

"Me?" Nick asked, incredulous for a moment before something seemed to click in his head, "The glass you found, we tested it and were able to find out who was using it. Eric has a cracher-mortel."

Adalind let that sink in, then nodded, "and that is how he'll get you out of Portland if you don't go willingly. He'll have the cracher-mortel infect you. You will appear dead, and he already has all the documents to get you out of the country."

They were both quiet for several minutes, contemplating what this new development would mean. The warm water running down her back felt soothing, and the way Nick's hand ran up and down her back, almost absently, gave her a false sense of security. As long as they stayed in the warm cocoon of the shower, they would be together, and safe. But they both knew that they couldn't stay locked in that room together forever. There was a reckoning coming, and they needed to be prepared.


	25. Chapter 25

Hello everyone - I am sorry for the lateness in posting, but an unforeseen medical issue has arisen and while it has been mostly resolved at this point, it has caused some serious delays in my writing. Since we are at such a critical time in the story, I didn't want to write when my focus was elsewhere. After investing so much time, the story (and readers!) deserves better than that :)

Because of this strain on my time, this chapter is unfortunately shorter than I would usually like, but I wanted to post what I had and let you know that I had NOT abandoned the story.

We are setting up for the big confrontation, and I hope to be able to bring that to you in the next couple weeks!

Thanks for your understanding! Hope you enjoy this (slightly shorter) chapter.

 **CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE**

"So what do we do?" Adalind was out of ideas. She had no idea how they could take on the royal family.

"I'm still working on that," Nick replied, bemused, pushing a damp lock of hair behind her ear, "as I mentioned, being here with you, like this, is very distracting."

"Well, we can't really talk about it out there…." Adalind replied, frowning while she gestured with her head to outside the shower, "and apparently you can't concentrate in here."

"Okay, okay," Nick said, "I get it. I think I can put my libido on hold for long enough to come up with some kind of plan to get around Eric and his zombie-spitting friend."

"I was thinking maybe we should continue going along with him," Adalind said, "I mean, how deep do we want to go? If we go back to Vienna with him, we may be able to take down the royal family from the inside."

"I don't know if that is a commitment I'm willing to make," Nick replied with a furrowed brow, "I kinda like my life here in Portland. I have a job, friends…." He trailed off as he saw her slowly shaking her head.

"But don't you see?" Adalind said sadly, "they will never leave you alone. They will just keep coming for you. They've already sent reapers, a mauvis dante, and god knows what else."

"Then we take off the head of the snake," Nick said quietly, and Adalind looked at him, wide-eyed.

"Even if you do that, there will just be another snake to fill the void," she replied.

"So those are my options?" Nick answered, knowing that his voice sounded bitter, "spend the rest of my life waiting for the royals to come after me or give up my life here to become a double agent?"

Adalind didn't answer and he knew that she felt as helpless as he did. She finally looked up at him and gave him an encouraging smile.

"If you want to stay here, then that's what we'll do," Adalind said with new conviction, "we make a statement and send that home to King Frederick. And if he comes after you again, we'll take the fight to him."

Nick nodded slowly, and then he started smiling as well, "Okay. Let's make a plan."

"How about we sneak out the back in a couple hours and meet Monroe and Rosalee at the spice shop," Adalind proposed, "four heads may be better than two."

"What about the goon you have following you?" Nick asked.

"That's where the sneaking out the back comes in," Adalind gave him a look like that told him he needed to catch on a little quicker, but honestly, considering the circumstances, he thought his brain was functioning pretty well.

"You can text Monroe and Rosalee to expect us later tonight," Adalind continued slowly, "then we sneak out the back, and have a cab meet us a couple blocks away. They won't even know we left."

"That should work," Nick replied, his focus starting to wander as he realized that there wouldn't be any further plotting, "And I supposed that means we have a little time to kill…."

She smiled up at him, and his heart seemed to skip a beat, "Well, I suppose nothing is going to be resolved in the next half hour…."

Her voice trailed off as she ran a hand along his side, across and up his chest before slipping behind his head and pulling his face to hers, kissing him gently.

"And I suppose we should take our moments of happiness where we can find them," she ran her hands through his hair, and he closed his eyes, allowing himself to forget everything except the feelings she evoked in him - passion, protectiveness, and maybe, just maybe…..

His thoughts splintered off as she continued to seduce him with her hands and mouth, a smile he could only call wicked gracing her lips as she kneeled before him.

"Adalind…." his voice trailed off as he looked down at her, her grin turning mischievous.

"Just relax," she said quietly, "I need all the blood to return to your brain if we're going to come up with a way out of this."

She winked at him and he tipped his back, letting her work her particular brand of magic.

%%%%%

Sean watched his brother across the table, and wondered, not for the first time, what he was doing there.

"How long has it been since we were last together?" Eric asked, a pleasant smile on his face, "excluding last night, of course."

"Well, let me see…." Sean said, a bit snidely, "I believe I was thirteen when my mother pulled me out of French literature class in Geneva and whisked us out of the country to keep us from being murdered…..by your mother."

"That was an exciting day, wasn't it," Eric chuckled.

"Not so much for me," Sean retorted.

"It is true that the Queen was never very fond of your hexenbiest whore of a mother," Sean glared at his brother, and Eric held up his hands in mock surrender, "her words, not mine, of course. But, sadly, my mother has passed on. And now it is time for you and I to establish a proper working relationship."

"I don't have the key if that is what you're here for," Sean responded in a clipped tone.

"I know you don't," Eric said with a smile, "but we both know who does. Tell me, what is it like working with a Grimm?"

"Different from what I imagined," Sean replied.

"From what I have heard, he has proven tremendously effective," Eric watched him carefully, "Taking out two reapers and sending their heads back made quite an impression."

"He also took out a Mauvais Dentes and a Nuckelavee. Both gifts from the family, I assume?"

"Yes, he's proven rather more worthy than we anticipated," Eric conceded with a shrug, "which brings up back to the key. We want it. And now that we know how effective this Grimm can be, we want him, too."

"And you expect me to just go along with this," Sean narrowed his eyes.

"We want you back in the family, Sean," Eric replied in a placating voice, "historic things are happening, and there is an important place for you...if you want it."

"What's your plan?" Sean asked abruptly.

"As we speak, the lovely Adalind is convincing the Grimm that his place is with the family," Eric smiled, swirling her drink, "you know, it's a shame what happened to her, losing her powers and all that. I think she may be holding a grudge against you, brother."

"That's not surprising," Sean said, not particularly interested in Adalind's feelings, "but what if that doesn't wok. I know you have a backup plan, so what is it?"

Eric gave him a long, considering look, and Sean thought for a moment that his brother might actually tell him the truth about his plans.

"Well, if that happens," Eric replied, "we'll simply have to give you more time to acquire they key. Not too much more time, mind you, but we do want to try and reconcile you with the family."

Sean gave his brother a tight smile, "of course."

Inside, he was seething. His brother was lying to his face, and Sean could only assume that the offers to rejoin his family were meant to distract him from what was really happening. He had to wonder how long he would live if he were to actually return to Vienna.

"So you'll think about it?," Eric asked, and Sean nodded.

"I would say you have given me a lot to think about," Sean responded, then smiled again, "but for now, let's just enjoy our dinner."

%%%%%

Juliette sat in her car, looking at the hotel that Sean had walked into less than an hour ago. She chewed on her lower lip, wondering what had happened to her that had brought her to this point. Then she remembered. Nick, and his double life. The one that he kept hidden from her because he didn't trust her enough to let her in on the big secret.

But now she knew, and she wanted to be a part of it. She wanted to taste it and feel it - knowing the kind of power these other species could potentially possess. She had become obsessed, and when Sean had told her that a hexenbiest could be created…..

She shook her head slightly, unsure that this was the road she wanted to go down, but her gut told her there was already no going back. She wanted more.

A few minutes later, she saw Sean leave the hotel, his face tense as he spoke with the valet and waited for his car. She hunched lower in her seat even though she knew he couldn't see her. She held her breath until he got into his car and pulled away. Narrowing her eyes in determination, she stepped out of her car and walked quickly to the hotel, the wind whipping her hair into her face.

Walking into the lobby, she was so nervous she barely noticed the opulence of her surroundings. Outwardly, her demeanor was cool, calm and aloof, but inside her anxiety made her stomach do flips. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse level, only to find that she needed a special key to access the floor.

Her heart sinking, she contemplated her next move as a bellhop stepped onto the elevator and slid a card into the slot, hitting the penthouse button. He turned and looked at her expectantly.

"What floor ma'am," the bellhop asked, and Juliette gave him her most confident smile.

"Looks like we're headed to the same place," she replied and he regarded her closely before nodding and turning back to the front of the elevator. Juliette sighed inwardly, realizing she may not have thought this entirely through. What would she do when she reached the penthouse? How would she get an audience with this so-called Prince? And what did she have to offer him to get him to actually want to help her?

The doors slid open, and she started to panic. The bellhop turned and looked at her expectantly, but she froze.

"This was a mistake," she said and the bellhop shrugged before stepping off the elevator. The doors started to close, and she started to relax. She inhaled sharply as a hand suddenly stopped the door from closing fully. The doors slid back open, revealing the tall, dark haired man that she knew to be Sean's brother.

"I….." Juliette stammered, trying to find her cool, aloof center once more, but finding his piercing stare too disconcerting. Recognition suddenly dawned in his eyes.

"Miss Silverton? May I ask what you're doing here?" he asked, his look turning to one of confused bemusement.

"Sean," she said abruptly, "I know he was here, and I needed to talk with him."

"Ah, well, you just missed him," Eric replied, flashing a disinterested smile, "I'm sure you can catch him if you leave now."

He stepped back and Juliette realized this may be the only shot that she would have to talk with Eric.

"Wait," she called, using her own hand this time to to stop the elevator. He turned back and looked at her, his brows raised in question. Juliette took a deep breath and continued, "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Really? Well, by all means, come," Eric gestured with one hand to the penthouse door, extending the other one out to her. She put her hand in his, following him into the room.

He gestured to the couch in the living area, and Juliette sat, feeling anxious and awkward. Eric poured two drinks and handed her one before sitting across from her.

"You have nothing to fear," Eric said with a lazy smile, "So please, just tell me what it is that you need from me?"

"You know who I am?" Juliette asked, avoiding his question.

"I do," he replied, and she could tell that his patience was wearing thin, "and obviously you know who I am, so I ask again - what is it you need from me?"

"I heard that you can make someone a hexenbiest," Juliette blurted out, and Eric looked mildly surprised at her outburst.

"And just who told you this," Eric asked.

"Sean," Juliette answered slowly, suddenly wondering if she had said too much.

"Really," Eric said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, and Juliette shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "that is interesting. I wonder just where he gets his information."

"I have no idea how he knows," Juliette said hurriedly, refocusing on her reason for coming in the first place, "but if it can be done, and you have the means to do it, I want to do it."

"You want to become a hexenbiest?" Eric gave a half laugh, "why on earth would you want to do that?"

"Power," Juliette said, her eyes lighting up, "I want the power."

"Well, I can understand that," Eric replied, his eyes sharpening on her as he continued, "but what's in it for me?"

"I can help you with the grimm," Juliette replied quickly, adding, "he still feels responsible for me, and the things that have happened to me."

"I already have someone filling that particular position," Eric replied, taking a drink while he waited for her to respond.

"Adalind," Juliette scoffed, "Nick hated her up until quite recently, and while he may feel some responsibility to her, it is nothing compared to how he feels about me. He's loved me for years."

"Well, this is a very interesting proposal," Eric replied, another smile sliding easily on to his face, "perhaps I can get back to you?"

"Of course," Juliette replied, standing quickly and fumbling in her pocket before pulling out her card, "my cell phone number is on my card. I hope I hear from you soon."

Eric stood and took her card, walking her to the door.

"Oh," Juliette turned back towards him, "and I would appreciate it if you didn't mention this little visit to Sean….."

"Of course not," Eric replied, "it will be our little secret."

%%%%%

"Ouch!" Adalind yelped as a branch smacked her in the face.

"Sorry," Nick called back over his shoulder, but she doubted his sincerity as she saw the flash of white teeth as he smiled at her, "guess you aren't used to climbing through dark, deserted yards."

"No, I'm not," Adalind huffed out, "and even if I was, I think these shoes give me a pretty good excuse. I didn't exactly know that we would be hiking through the wilds of suburban Portland."

"Wasn't how I thought we would spend the evening, either," Nick said wistfully, holding out his hand and helping her over the low fence. His hands lingered a moment longer than necessary and he added, "you look beautiful tonight, by the way."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him, but she was disarmed by his smile and she gave in, softening slightly as she replied, "I just want this to be over so we can get back to normal. Or whatever our version of normal is, anyway."

"Soon," he said, placing a light kiss on her forehead before pulling her forward through another bush, emerging onto the street. He gestured with his head towards the car waiting a block away, and they walked quickly towards it, Adalind pulling leaves and debris from her dress and coat as they went.

They reached the car and Nick pulled the back door open for Adalind and she climbed in, with Nick following behind her.

"Thanks for picking us up," Nick said as Monroe pulled away from the curb, "you could have just sent a car."

"And miss the opportunity to watch you guys crawl out of that bush back there?" Monroe asked with a grin, "no way, man."

"Glad we could provide you with some entertainment," Nick replied sarcastically.

"That," Monroe added, "and it's safer. I don't really trust anyone right now with this royal-whatever in town. Gives me the creeps."

"Me too," Adalind said, sitting back in the car.

It was a quick trip to the spice shop and Monroe pulled into the parking lot, easing the car into a spot near the back door on the chance that the shop was being watched. They slipped in the back door, where Rosalee was waiting eagerly for them. Adalind rushed forward and gave Rosalee a quick hug.

"Thank you for getting that glass to Nick," Adalind said, "I'm sorry that we involved you guys in all of this."

"Don't think anything of it," Rosalee said, waving away her apology, "if we're being honest, we would hate to be left out!"

"Good, then you won't mind helping us figure out what to do with the royal and the baron?" Adalind gave her a hopeful smile and Rosalee laughed.

"Of course," Rosalee said, then she gestured to her work table, "I've already made several doses of antidote if the prince has the baron infect anyone."

"That's great," Adalind said looking over Rosalee's work, "let's just hope we don't have to actually use it."

"So, Rosalee and I have been talking about what you guys should do, and we think maybe playing along for now is the best plan," Monroe said, pacing the room in his familiar manner, "I mean, take it all the way to the airport, maybe even board the plane, but then, at the last minute, you know, take the guy out."

"That way Eric never feels like he needs to unleash the baron," Rosalee continued, "so hopefully he will already be on his way out of town."

"Or on the plane, waiting for a sign of any problem," Nick said thoughtfully, "I don't want to assume that he won't have the baron on standby somewhere if he senses anything is wrong."

"That seems like the more likely scenario," Adalind said, chewing her bottom lip worriedly.

"That said, I'm not sure that we have a better option," Nick continued, "the only real advantage we have right now is Eric doesn't know that we are aware of the baron's presence here."

"Not to mention he legitimately thinks that Adalind is on his side," Rosalee added.

"I think we need to take our chances," Adalind nodded slowly, "but instead of taking Eric out, I think we need to try and kidnap him."

"Who said anything about kidnapping?" Monroe's eyebrows flew up at her words.

"If you take Eric out, you just piss off his father, and he will keep coming for Nick," Adalind replied, "BUT, if you take Eric hostage, you have a bargaining tool with the King. We will be in control for once, instead of constantly trying to fend off their attacks. We can be on the offensive for once."

"It's risky," Nick said slowly, "he might just send more thugs after us."

"The King isn't stupid," Adalind smiled, "he has already sent reapers, mauvis dantes, and a nuckelavee after Nick with no results. If we're able to outsmart the baron and Eric, he would know that it was time to negotiate a peace."

"That is an impressive resume," Monroe admitted slowly, "but where exactly are we going to hide a prince?"

"I think I know just the place," Nick replied with a smile.

%%%%%

Eric closed the door behind Juliette Silverton and walked slowly back into the room, taking his customary position in front of the window. Twirling his drink in his hand, he contemplated what Juliette had told him.

Someone had told Sean about his plans for Adalind. Either he had a spy within his household, or Adalind was working both sides. He supposed both theories held water, but his suspicions leaned more towards Adalind. He had recently exposed, and eliminated, an informer in his inner circle and it was a lesson that would not soon be forgotten for the other that served him. So it had to be Adalind…..

His hand gripped his glass so tightly that he feared it might break. Taking a deep breath, he set the glass down and rubbed his fingers against his temple, trying to calm himself. He shouldn't be surprised, really. She was, after all, a hexenbiest at heart, and by her very nature, duplicitous. He had hoped that his enticement would be enough to secure her loyalty.

If she wanted to play dirty, however, he would gladly play along.

%%%%%

"What is this place?" Adalind asked, wrinkling her nose at the small, ramshackle cabin in front of them.

"This is where it all started for me," Nick said, his voice quiet as he made eye contact with Monroe.

"Yeah, for me, too," Monroe replied with a small smile.

"My first case after becoming a grimm was a blutbad that had kidnapped a little girl," Nick said in explanation, "this was where he kept her hidden."

"You missed the part where you thought I was the kidnapping blutbad," Monroe retorted, though his voice held no malice.

"Well, I didn't exactly have much experience yet, did I," Nick said defensively, "and it all ended well. Look at us now, one big happy family."

"One big WEIRD family," Monroe murmured, and Nick smiled.

"So this is where you want to bring Eric?" Adalind asked, bring the conversation back to the present.

"Seems a good place," Nick answered with a shrug, "no one knows this place is out here. It's been abandoned since the little girl was found. There is no reason anyone would look out here for him."

They headed inside and looked around at the disarray surrounding them.

"Not exactly fit for a prince, is it?" Rosalee said, running a finger along the dusty fireplace mantle.

"We'll do our best to clean it up a bit, but I doubt the prince's first complaint will be about the accommodations," Nick replied, turning to Adalind, "you still think this is the best move?"

"I think you have to make a stand sometime," Adalind said with more confidence than she felt, "taking the King's only legitimate son sends a message."

"Okay," Nick said, taking a deep breath, "go ahead and make the call. Tell him I agreed to come to Vienna and set up the meet."


	26. Chapter 26

I am so sorry that this update has taken so long! All health issues have been resolved (yay!), but I have been super busy catching up at work, and now we are moving May 1, so we are getting our house ready to put on the market ...bottom line, things have been nuts!

I have been writing when I can, and as I said before, I promise I will not abandon the story, especially so close to the end :)

Again, this is shorter than I normally would post, but I really wanted to give you an update so you know this story is still here!

I hope you enjoy, and I promise the next chapter will come very soon (and will be much longer). Also, it will likely have the even we have LONG been waiting for!

Thanks again for sticking with the story, and continuing to read, review and favorite. You guys are the best!

 **CHAPTER TWENTY SIX**

Eric looked down at the phone in his hand, narrowing his eyes as Adalind's name flashed on the screen. Harnessing his anger, he answered the phone.

"Adalind," Eric answered smoothly, "how are things going with our mutual friend?"

"Perfectly," Adalind replied, and he could detect the smile in her voice, "he is ready to come to Vienna with us."

"Really?," Eric answered, forcing his voice to remain pleasant, "I'm impressed with your powers of persuasion."

"That is what you're paying me before," Adalind responded, her voice cooling slightly, "I knew time was of the essence, so I made him see reason."

"Using your ample charms, I'm sure," Eric's tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Do you really care how it happened?," Adalind's answer was clipped, and Eric knew better than to keep baiting her.

"Not really," Eric let boredom seep into his voice before continuing, "how soon can you be ready to leave?"

"As soon as you can have the jet ready," Adalind replied, and Eric raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"He has no one he wants to take his leave from?" Eric countered, "no fond farewells? Affairs to get in order?"

"He has very little family left, and they aren't in Portland," Adalind responded quickly, "I don't think he has many roots down here. And most things can be handed over email anyway."

"I'll have to take your word for it," Eric shrugged, "I'll need a couple hours to alert the crew."

"We'll be ready," Adalind replied, "just call me when we should come meet you at the airport."

Eric agreed, then disconnected the call. He turned back to the window and stared out for a moment before picking up his phone once more. His call was answered on the second ring.

"Baron, I'm so glad I was able to reach you," Eric said with a smile, "I was hoping you could come to my hotel. I think I have use of your services after all."

%%%%%

Adalind put down her phone and looked up with a frown.

"I thought he would be happier," she said slowly, her gaze meeting Nick's worried one.

"Well, being a prince and all, he's probably just used to getting what he wants," Monroe said reassuringly, and Rosalee nodded in agreement, "I mean, I assume he is...don't know many princes personally, so….."

"You're probably right," Adalind said, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, "this whole thing is just making me nervous."

"That's understandable," Monroe reassured once again, "Not everyday you kidnap a prince, right?"

They were all quiet for a moment while they contemplated the enormity of what they had decided to undertake.

"I think we better get back home," Nick said, looking at Adalind, "we'll have to sneak back in before we leave for the airport."

"Right," Adalind said, biting her bottom lip, and Nick gave her had a squeeze.

"Everything is going to be okay," he said with a smile, and she wanted to believe him, but her previous experiences with the royals left her unsure.

"I hope so," she responded with her own weak smile.

"We'll take you guys back to Nick's place," Rosalee said as they settled into the car, "then Monroe and I will get what we need to take back to the cabin. Who knows how long we'll be there. Let us know when you leave the airport and we will meet you there, for backup. Just let us know the plan, and we'll do whatever you need."

They all let that last statement hang in the air until Nick cleared his throat, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"You guys don't have to do this," he said to them, his words including everyone in the car, "this fight is mine, not yours."

Monroe gave a long, loud sigh, and looked at Rosalee out of the corner of his eye as they drove away from the cabin.

"When is he gonna get it?" he asked her and Rosalee smiled as she looked into the backseat.

"Hard to say," she responded with a wink at Adalind before she looked at Nick with a raised eyebrow.

"We're in this together, buddy," Monroe said, "better get used to it."

"Thanks guys," Nick said simply, he squeezed Adalind's hand and smiled at her, his eyes never leaving hers, "I don't know what I would do without you…."

"Well, let's hope you never have to find out," Monroe responded.

%%%%%

"And you're sure they haven't left the house," Eric asked, his brow furrowed as he spoke to his man that had been assigned to Adalind.

"Not that I've observed," the man confirmed, "there has been no activity from the front door, and the Grimm's car hasn't moved."

Eric silently cursed himself for not sending another man to guard the backdoor. Of course, at the time he had no cause to doubt Adalind's loyalty, but now…

"Keep as sharp eye out," Eric said brusquely before terminating the call and turning to the other man in the room, "have you picked up anything from the bug you planted?"

The man looked at Eric nervously before shaking his head, "not really, your highness. She told him she was there to convince him to join you in Vienna, and then…."

"And then?" Eric prompted, his patience running thin.

"Then, they seemed to get in the….shower," the man said, clearly embarrassed, "it was hard to hear anything that they were saying."

"And after the shower?" Eric prompted, curbing his desire to shake the answers he wanted out of the man.

"Nothing," the man replied with a shrug, "we haven't heard a noise from any of the bugs we planted for almost two hours. Maybe they were tired after whatever it is they were doing in the shower?"

"Adalind called me not a half hour ago," Eric said through clenched teeth, "If they were in the house, you would have picked that up, would you not?"

"Yes, of course, your highness," the man replied quickly, before adding, "unless she went outside to make the call."

"Possible, of course," Eric replied, "but unlikely. I think perhaps they slipped past us."

The man stood staring blankly back at him, and Eric dismissed him with a wave of his hand. He could almost feel the man's relief at escaping the royal's wrath. Eric's lips curled into a malicious smile. The Grimm and his little whore wouldn't be so lucky.

%%%%%

"What are you doing here?"

Juliette's head snapped up and she was surprised to be looking into the face of Sean Renard. She pushed down a flash of unease and met his stare head on, throwing her shoulders back in what she hoped was a show of self confidence.

"I wanted to talk to your brother," Juliette said, tipping her head defiantly.

"Why?" Sean ground out, and Juliette could almost feel the anger rolling off his body.

"I'm not sure that's any of your business," Juliette replied, giving him a taunting smile. Sean grabbed her roughly by the arm and she gave a yelp of protest. He pulled her down the sidewalk to where his car was parked and opened the door, gesturing with his arm for her to get in the passenger side. Not wanting to make a scene, she followed his silent command and got in the car.

"Now what the hell were you doing with my brother?" Sean asked again, and she glared at him a moment, before turning her head and sighing.

"I just wanted to know more about what you told me," Juliette said, not meeting his eye. When he remained silent, she continued, "about becoming a hexenbiest. I thought if he could turn Adalind into one, maybe he could help me…."

Juliette's voice trailed off and she shrugged, staring out the window as she waited for Sean's response. She heard him take a deep breath, but the car remained silent, so she turned and looked at him. He was rubbing his temples, and Juliette frowned.

"I don't know what the big deal is," Juliette said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The big deal is that the only way YOU would know about his deal with Adalind is if someone told you," Sean's voice held a barely leashed anger, "and since you and Adalind aren't exactly the best of friends, you would have heard it from someone else. You see where I'm going with this?"

The pieces were coming together in Juliette's mind and she felt a twisting in her stomach as she realized what she may have done. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and turned her head to look out the window again.

"I see that you do," Sean sighed heavily, "If Eric puts two and two together, he might just figure out that Adalind isn't as loyal to him as he might think. My brother is a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them."

They sat in silence for a moment before Sean hit his hand against his steering wheel, swearing. Juliette jumped, suddenly afraid of his anger.

"I need to warn Nick," Sean said, pulling out his phone.

"Wait!" Juliette's hand shot out, knocking the phone out of his hand. He looked at her, dumbstruck.

"What are you doing?," he asked, before trying to retrieve his phone from the floor of the car, "Nick needs to know that Adalind's cover may be blown. They could be walking into a trap!"

"But maybe you could use this to your advantage," Juliette said, shifting closer to him, "and Nick's too, of course."

"And Adalind?" Sean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, you know what they say," Juliette responded with a smile, "you can't have an omelette without breaking a few eggs."

Sean looked down at the phone in his hand before turning her gaze back to her.

"What did you have in mind?"

%%%%%

Nick helped Adalind through the bush that separated his house from his neighbor. She gave him a small smile of gratitude as she brushed the leaves from her pants. Nick reached over and pulled a leaf from her hair before trailing a finger down her face, cupping her cheek.

"I'm sorry this is so complicated," he said, smiling sadly at her.

"It was always going to be this way," Adalind replied with a dismissive shrug.

"How can you be so calm about all this?" Nick asked with a shake of his head and she shrugged again.

"What choice do we have," Adalind sighed, and he pulled her close. She let him fold her into his arms before he felt her relax against him, "Hopefully it will all be over after this."

"Are you scared?" he asked her, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"Yes," she answered honestly, "for myself, of course, but for you, too. And Monroe and Rosalee."

"I'll do everything I can do keep you safe," Nick said, "all of you."

"Well, don't forget to watch your own ass, too," Adalind said.

The stood there in the cool night for several minutes before Adalind pulled away and took his hand, walking them both toward the back door.

"C'mon," she said, "we have to get you packed for that long flight to Vienna."

"I suppose we do need to make a show of it, don't we," Nick opened the door and mouthed "showtime."

Knowing that there were listening devices all over his house made Nick uneasy, and while he and Adalind made a point to keep their conversations light, he worried that they would see through their deception. He imagined armed hundjagers breaking down the doors and mentally prepared himself for the fight. How on earth would he defend both of them against an attack like that? He knew that Adalind could hold her own in most fights, but hundjagers were different. The thought of something happening to her, especially because of him, made a chill run down his spine. He didn't have time to examine that feeling too deeply at the moment, and in his usual manner, he pushed aside his personal concerns to concentrate on the more immediate problem at hand. And currently, his problem included Adalind rifling through his closet.

"No….no….no," Adalind threw shirt after shirt on to a pile, occasionally sighing and putting one into the suitcase that he had put on the bed. He had thought that he would just throw some random clothes and things in the bag on the chance that they searched them when they arrived at the airport, but Adalind had other ideas.

"Who shopped for you?" Adalind said, holding up a navy blue button down shirt.

"I'm a grown man….I mostly shopped for myself," Nick said, with a frown, "why?"

"Because you have dozens of button downs, but they are all dark blue, dark green, or burgundy," Adalind responded, her brow furrowed as she surveyed the contents of his closet, "and it's not that you don't look good in them, because you do, but maybe you could use some variety in your life."

"Well, I suppose I'll have to let you shop for me," Nick responded, and he almost laughed as her face lit up, "I'll probably need a new wardrobe if I am going to start hanging around european royalty, aren't I?"

Adalind's face dimmed slightly at the reminder of their deception, but she recovered quickly and smiled, "Exactly. You'll have a certain image to uphold."

"As will you, I suppose," Nick said playing along, stepping toward her and running a hand up her side and pulling her closer to him, "What will be your role once we get to Vienna?"

"Eye candy?" Adalind responded sarcastically, then more seriously she said, "I suppose I will have to help you adapt to your new….station?'

" I suppose you will," Nick murmured, nuzzling her neck and she sighed.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly.

"Distracting you from the horror that is my closet," Nick said, working his way from her neck to her ear.

"Nick…..we can't…." Adalind said pulling away from him and looking at him meaningfully. She mouthed "they're listening."

Nick heaved a sigh and sat on his bed, "You're right, we really need to finish packing if we are going to be ready to go when the prince calls."

As if on cue, Adalind's phone rang, and they both looked at it with varying degrees of unease. Adalind picked it up slowly, taking a deep breath before answering.

"Yes?" Nick watched as Adalind listened to the caller, her lower lip caught between her teeth. Without further comment, she disconnected the call and looked up at Nick.

"It's time."

%%%%%

"You want to be rid of Adalind as much as I do," Juliette sat back in her seat, a smile small forming on her face as she regarded Sean, "maybe even more than I do. I think, perhaps, that you don't like to be betrayed."

Sean gritted his teeth, but offered no more reply then a slight nod of his head.

"Just imagine what your brother will do to her when he finds out that she has been betrayed him," Juliette said slowly, letting the words sink in, "He seems even less forgiving than you."

Sean let out a bitter laugh, "he has the advantage of being royalty. He doesn't have to compromise in the way that I often do."

"But all that could change, couldn't it?" Juliette asked, her voice soft, "your brother wants to bring you back into the family?"

He heard the question in her voice, but it was clear she already knew the answer to her questions.

"My brother…." Sean started, unsure how to proceed, "my brother is not someone to trust. I could just as easily be brought to Vienna to be disposed of."

"Even if you prove your loyalty to him?" Juliette asked, "if you expose the truth of what Adalind is doing?"

"That puts us all at risk," Sean responded, "Adalind, but also me….and Nick."

Juliette waved her hand dismissively, "Once you betray Adalind to Eric, he will trust you, and we can persuade Nick to the right side."

"We?" Sean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You didn't think I would let you have all the fun, now did you?" Juliette smiled again, placing a hand on his arm, "we have the same goals, Sean. To rid ourselves of Adalind and to have Nick be loyal to us. There's no reason we can't both get what we want."

"You seem to have acquired a taste for this life quite quickly," Sean said, changing the subject as he watched her closely, "how did that happen?"

Juliette turned her head away and looked out the window before turning back to him and answering, "I have been lied to, cursed, almost died, maybe some things I don't even know about yet. All these things ….it changes a person. I was dragged into this world, but now that I'm here, I want the power. I refuse to play the victim ever again."

Sean regarded her, a sense of unease creeping into his stomach. Whatever route he decided to take, he would have to keep a close eye on Juliette.

"You may be mistaken in your belief that my brother will help you," Sean said, feeling an unfamiliar pang of guilt as he considered his role in the woman's current predicament, "he's not exactly known for his loyalty."

"Well, neither is anyone else that I know," Juliette answered cooly, "so I might as well take my chances with the only one that can help me get what I need."

Sean took a deep breath, then slowly moved to take her hand in his. She looked up in startled surprise, her eyes showing her confusion.

"What if I told you that I could help you," Sean said quietly, "and that you can trust me."

Juliette continued to look at him in confusion, and he sighed. He wasn't used to feeling uncertainty and he shifted in his seat, trying to regain the cool, calm that was his normal demeanor. Determined to take control of the situation, he quickly moved his hand behind her neck, pulling her towards him and kissing her hard on the mouth.

He pulled away several moments later, and looked at her. Her eyes were slightly glazed over, her breathing shallow.

"Trust me," he repeated softly, and she slowly started to nod.

"Okay," Juliette agreed, and he sighed in relief as her eyes cleared and then narrowed slightly, "now tell me how you are going to help me get what I want."

%%%%%

"Are you ready?" Adalind asked, her voice tight with nerves as they sat in Nick's car in the small airport parking lot. They both stared at the private plane that was being prepped for departure.

"Yes," Nick replied, abruptly releasing his seatbelt, "Let's just get this over with."

"Wait!" Adalind said, holding him back with her hand, which was shaking slightly, "are Rosalee and Monroe here."

"I think so," Nick said, looking around them, "I mean, the point is for them not to be seen, so I am assuming they are…."

"And they know what to do?" Adalind asked anxiously.

"Yes, as soon as we are on board, they will take care of the two hundjagers that are on the ground before they can board the plane," Nick replied, "they'll back us up a few minutes after that."

"And we have to take out the rest of the guards?" Adalind felt the anxiety rise in her throat, and he smiled at her soothingly.

"I can handle it," Nick said and she raised an eyebrow as he gave her a charming smile.

"There is such a thing as being 'too confident,' " Adalind said, her tone slightly admonishing.

"I find that I work best when I just kinda…..do it," Nick replied with a flick of his hands.

"That's insane," Adalind shook her head.

"It weirdly works for me," Nick said, shrugging dismissively.

"I like plans," Adalind wrung her hands.

"And how has that worked out for you?" Nick asked with a small smile.

"Shut up," Adalind said, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"So maybe we'll try it my way….see how that goes?"

"Fine," Adalind said, then her voice softened as she looked at him, "we just need to be careful."

"I know," Nick replied gently, reaching out to run a hand down her cheek, "there is a lot at stake. I promise that I am not taking this lightly."

"Okay," Adalind replied and then took a deep breath, "let's do it."

%%%%%

"Are they here?" Eric asked impatiently.

"I believe so, your highness," the man replied, "they arrived a few minutes ago and appeared to be talking in their vehicle."

"Of course they are," Eric murmured, turning to the man sitting next to him, "you know what to do, Baron?"

The man smiled slowly, "I do indeed, your highness. You won't be disappointed."

"I have the utmost confidence in you, Baron," Eric replied with a smile, "now let the games begin."


	27. Chapter 27

Thank you everyone for being so patient! As I mentioned last time, we are currently moving, so we have been so busy with getting our house ready to sell and getting everything in order. The good news is our house sold (after the first showing!) and we will be in our new house mid-May. Hopefully this will free up my time a bit, at least until the serious packing starts :)

Thanks also for the continuing reviews, favs and follows. My writing muse has been kicking back in now that the stress of the last four months has decreased significantly, so I am hopeful that these long delays are a thing of the past - and this chapter is back to the usual length, too!

Hope you enjoy!

 **CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN**

Nick took a deep breath before exiting the car. He retrieved his bag from the back seat and waited for Adalind to join him. He noted the hesitation in her movements, but was unsure how to reassure her. He knew that there was a lot at risk, that they were putting their lives on the line. He had always thrown himself in, head first, throwing caution to the wind. He had been cocky and overconfident, but now his friends were involved….and Adalind, and a certain amount of doubt started to creep in his head. Steadying himself, he forced the thoughts out of his head. They were minutes from storming the private jet of a member of some obscure, but ridiculously powerful, royal family, and he needed to focus. He was at his best when he let his adrenaline and instincts drive him.

He grabbed Adalind's hand, giving her a reassuring smile, and pulled her forward.

"Maybe we should talk about this a little more….," Adalind started to say, but he kept moving, flashing an even wider smile back at her.

"We're done talking," Nick replied, "It's time to do this."

She stopped and he turned and looked at her, his heart giving a painful tug as he saw the concern on her face. He set down his bag and pulled her to him, wrapping both arms around her. After a moment, he pulled back slightly and tipped her face up with his finger. Wordlessly, he kissed her, slowly at first, then more deeply. When he pulled away she sighed.

"Okay," she said, her words a bit shaky, "I'm ready."

Nick stepped away from her, but didn't release her hand, picking up his bag. They walked with purpose towards the plane, stopping only when a large men stepped forward, blocking their path to the stairs leading to the open door of the sleek jetstream.

The man woged, and Nick felt Adalind tense next to him, but he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"They didn't bring me here to kill me," he said to her, not breaking eye contact with the hundjager standing across from him, "they're just making sure I am who you say I am."

The hundjager gave a shake of his head, returning to his human visage, and Nick relaxed. The man gave a nod of his head up the stairs, and moved out of their way. Nick gave him a tight smile before starting up the stairs, pulling a somewhat reluctant Adalind behind him.

As they entered the main cabin of the sleek private jet, Nick felt the adrenaline start to pump as he met the steady, smug gaze of the prince.

"Mr. Burkhardt," the prince approached him, a smile tugging up one side of his mouth as he offered his hand to Nick, "so happy to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

"Same," Nick replied, flicking a gaze to Adalind before taking the prince's outstretched hand, and adding a belated, "your highness."

"Oh, please, let's not stand on ceremony," the prince replied, his charm never faltering, "please, call me Eric."

Nick nodded, and Eric turned his gaze to Adalind. The smile remained on Eric's face, but it didn't quite reach his eyes as he looked at her.

"Adalind," he said cooly, inclining his head slightly, "Well done."

"Of course," Adalind replied with a cool smile of her own.

"We must celebrate with a drink," Eric said, breaking the tension in the air. He waved them to the small bar that had been set up, "we still have a bit of time before the wheels go up."

Nick watched closely as Eric poured three glasses of amber liquid, noting that they were all poured from the same decanter. Taking the drink offered to him, he took a slow drink as he assessed his surroundings.

There were two large, silent men standing in the cabin with them, one on each end. Nick made the assumption they were both hundjagers, like the guards outside the plane. He also had to be wary of the pilot and co-pilot, thinking it likely that the prince would make sure that all the personnel on his plane were able to defend him - to the death, if necessary.

So that made four, plus the prince himself. Nick sighed inwardly. Not great odds, but he had faced worse. His gaze wandered over to Adalind, who was taking a long drink from her own glass. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he gave her a reassuring smile. Feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, he pulled his gaze away from her and looked down at the screen, a small frown on his face as he saw Renard's name flash on the screen. Silencing it hastily, he shoved it back in his pocket.

"Just Captain Renard," Nick said by way of explanation when Eric looked at him expectantly.

"You don't need to take it?" Eric asked, and Nick shook his head.

"I don't really answer to him anymore, now do I," Nick replied with a tight smile and Eric laughed.

"No, I suppose you don't," Eric said with a short laugh before pinning his sharp gaze on him, "but I have to wonder who you do work for."

"I thought the point of all of this is that I work for you," Nick said, an uneasiness settling in the pit of his stomach.

"Well, that is what I thought, too," Eric said, his condescending smile returning as he looked at Nick, and then Adalind, "but then I had an interesting visitor. I bet you could never guess who it was…."

Eric's voice trailed off and Adalind gave an irritated sigh, setting her drink down and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Let's not play these games, Eric," Adalind said, her voice carrying a confidence that Nick almost believed was genuine, "what visitor?"

"Juliette," Eric replied, letting the name hang in the air.

"Juliette?" Nick asked, bewildered, "what on earth could she have wanted from you?"

"The same thing Adalind wants," Eric replied smoothly, his eyebrow quirking at Nick, "seems like you have a type."

"And just what type is that?" Nick asked, trying to keep his voice level and calm.

"A hexenbiest, of course," Eric said lightly, "although, I have to admit, that is a rather strange fetish for a Grimm to have, even one that is as….progressive as you are."

"Stop with the riddles," Adalind said with heat, "what did she ask you for."

"Power," Eric responded, his eyes never leaving Adalind, "in the form of a hexenbiest spirit. But the more interesting question here is how in the world she knew that it what I offered to you, Adalind."

Nick turned his gaze to Adalind, and he had to admit, she showed none of the nervous panic that Nick was starting to feel.

"How should I know," Adalind said, her voice exasperated, "maybe you have another Resistance mole. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Do you think after what happened to the last one, there would be another," Eric asked her through gritted teeth.

"Many are willing to die just to see the Royal family fail," Adalind countered.

"Fair enough," Eric replied, "and to be honest, I think you're right, Adalind."

"Smartest thing you've said all night," Adalind replied tightly.

"We do have a mole," he said simply, "and I believe that mole is you."

%%%%%%

"Damn it, Nick isn't answering," Sean said, resisting the urge to throw his phone as he looked at Juliette, "you better hope he hasn't already walked into a trap."

"Nick can handle himself," Juliette said with a dismissive shrug, "he'll be fine."

"Against a potential ambush?" Sean asked her, incredulous, "you better hope you're right."

"But isn't it why you are all always fighting over him," Juliette asked sarcastically, "because he is such a big, bad Grimm?"

"Even a Grimm can be vulnerable when those around him are working against him," Sean replied.

"I guess you would know something about that, wouldn't you?," Juliette countered, then added, "but even then, he has always managed to outsmart you, hasn't he?"

Sean narrowed his eyes at her, but found that he couldn't deny what she was saying. Not that he was willing to admit that to her, not after all she had done to muck up their plans with Eric.

"None of that will matter if Eric gets Nick out of the country," Sean said, avoiding her question completely.

"Can you keep that from happening?"

"I can try," Sean responded, picking up his phone and making a call.

"This is Captain Renard," Sean said when the voice on the other end answered, "Can you tell me if a flight plan has been entered for GQR Industries?" Sean waited for the answer, swearing softly when he was given the answer.

"But they haven't departed yet, is that correct?" Sean asked, his mind working furiously to solve the problem, nodding as they confirmed, "good, keep them there…...I don't care how! Just do it."

He disconnected the call and turned to look at Juliette, telling her, "we don't have much time."

"Then we better get to the airport," Juliette replied, a slow smile appearing on her face, "we wouldn't want our grimm to get away, now would we?"

"You can honestly switch sides that quickly?" Sean asked, disbelievingly.

"The only side I'm on is my own," Juliette said, her smile turning cold, "much like yourself."

"Fair enough," Sean replied, putting the car in gear and turning his attention to the road ahead of them.

%%%%%%

"Me?" Adalind shook her head, tamping down the panic slowly rising in the back of her throat, "Why on earth would I work with the resistance? After all you offered to me?"

"Yes, shocking, isn't it?" Eric replied coolly, "after all I have done for you…."

"You're the only one who can get me back what I lost," Adalind replied, her mind working quickly to control the situation.

"But for some reason, you seem loyal to the Grimm," Eric flicked a glance at Nick and then back to Adalind, "the very man that took everything away from you. Interesting, don't you think."

"I don't know what you two are talking about, but I thought we were all headed to Vienna," Nick looked from Eric to Adalind, "I thought we were on the same team."

"I thought that as well," Eric replied, calmly setting down his drink before turning his cold stare back to Adalind, "but somehow my brother has come into some information that only you possess."

Adalind shook her head and opened her mouth, but no words came out. Nick moved a stop closer to her, placing himself more directly between her and Eric.

"Well isn't that sweet," Eric said in a mocking tone, "to be honest, I'm not sure which of you is more pathetic. The Grimm protecting the hexenbiest who he stripped of all her powers or the stupid girl who fell in love with the man who took everything from her."

Adalind felt Nick tense next to her, and she put a calming hand on his arm.

"He's just trying to get us riled up," Adalind said to him.

"And it seems to be working quite nicely," Eric said with a sarcastic laugh before turning serious once more, "but enough of that. I have someone I would like you to meet."

Adalind turned her head at a rustling sound behind her, her eyes widening as a tall man entered the cabin from behind a curtain at the rear of the plane.

"I thought you both would like to meet my dear friend," Eric said with mock formality, "please, say hello to the baron."

%%%%%

"So how exactly are we going to take out these hundjagers?" Rosalee asked Monroe.

"Element of surprise," Monroe responded in a hushed voice as they observed the two men from behind a large bush. The men were standing guard outside of the plane, their eyes scanning the surrounding area. Monroe and Rosalee pulled further back from the bush.

"I don't like this," Rosalee said, her voice laced with concern.

"Well, Nick and Adalind are already in there," Monroe replied, "are we just going to abandoned them?"

"No, of course not," Rosalee said with a sigh, "I'm ready when you are."

"Don't forget, a blutbad can beat a hundjager in a fair fight" Monroe answered, taking her hand.

"Yeah, but there are two," Rosalee said with no less concern.

"That's why you have that," Monroe gestured to the doppelarmbrust she held in her hands, "as soon as you get a clean shot, take it. Then I'll take care of the other one before he even knows what hits him."

"I hope you're right," Rosalee said with a shake of her head, "because I have plans, you know. For the future…."

"You and me both," Monroe answered with a reassuring smile, "so let's get this over with."

They crept out from behind the bush, keeping a watchful eye on the two hundjagers. They seemed to be aware of their surroundings, but showed no signs of concern. They obviously weren't too worried about any threats as they waited for their boss to call them onboard the plane. Monroe was relieved. Their relaxed stance would make taking them out that much easier. He wasn't interested in a prolonged fight with a hundjager, no matter how confident he was in his ultimate success. He didn't like leaving Rosalee vulnerable. Not that she couldn't hold her own, but a fuchsbau was no match for a hundjager.

They skirted around the perimeter of the small airport so they could approach the hundjagers from behind. As they approached, they both ducked to work their way under the plane. Squatting down, Rosalee silently pointed the dopplearmbrust at the hundjager closest to them. Taking a deep breath, she made eye contact with Monroe. They held each other's eyes for a moment before Monroe gave her a slight nod. Rosalee shifted her gaze to the back of the hundjager and pulled the trigger. Two arrows flew from the modified crossbow and hit their target, a sharp cry of surprise coming from his mouth.

"What….." the other hundjager raced over to the fallen man, before his eyes started darting around the vicinity, looking for the assailant. Before he even had a chance to take in the entirety of his surroundings, Monroe rushed from beneath the plane, tackling the second hundjager. Both men woged and the hundjager gave a yelp of surprise when he saw that a blutbad had him pinned to the ground.

"Want to give up?' Monroe taunted, and the hundjager gave a roar of rage, tossing Monroe off and sending him tumbling to the ground. Monroe reacted quickly, jumping back up and rushing at the hundjager once more. The two men exchanged blows, and Monroe felt a surge of unease as he realized the other man was equally matched to his own strength. He gave a silent prayer that Rosalee could reload the dopplearmbrust sooner rather than later.

The hundjager delivered a headbutt to Monroe, sending him staggering backwards. Giving his head a shake, he had only a moment to try and refocus his blurred vision before the hundjager started running towards him once more. Monroe had time only to brace himself for the blow, tumbling to the ground as the hundjager crashed into him, his body suddenly dead weight as the other man gave a cry of pain.

Monroe went still under the heavy body that was lying on top of his. Lifting his head slightly, he noticed two arrows sticking up from the back of the other man's coat. He turned his glance up as he heard footsteps approach, and he looked up into the exasperated face of Rosalee.

"Nice shot," he said with a pained smile, trying to shift the weight of the body on top of him.

"I thought you said you were stronger than this guy," Rosalee said with a shake of her head.

"Well, I guess he ate his Wheaties this morning," Monroe answered, growing more and more uncomfortable, "I promise, you can yell at me later if you just get this guy off of me."

"You're lucky I was able to load this thing again," Rosalee grumbled as she helped pull the man off of Monroe.

"I am," Monroe said, smiling as he stood up and brushed off his coat, "I'm quite possibly be the luckiest man in the world."

Rosalee gave him a begrudging smile before her gaze shifted to something behind his shoulder, her brow furrowing.

"What in the world are they doing here?" Rosalee wondered and Monroe turned, his adrenaline starting to pump again. It was with some relief that he saw Renard and Juliette crossing the tarmac. He didn't plan on letting his guard down completely, though, as he was well aware that one never knew exactly where you stood with those two.

"What happened to keeping me informed?" Renard asked accusingly when he had closed the distance between them.

"I didn't know we had that kind of relationship," Monroe taunted.

"Nick said he would keep me informed of what was going on with my family," Renard said through gritted teeth, "this feels a bit like a betrayal."

"Well, it's really not," Monroe countered, "unless you are on your brother's side now. We never really know with you, now do we?"

"Fair enough," Renard said with a slight nod, "but I can tell you, I am not on my brother's side."

"Then what are you doing here?" Rosalee asked, her gaze sweeping from Renard to Juliette.

"I have reason to believe that Adalind and Nick are walking into a trap," Renard replied, flicking a glance to Juliette, "someone may have shown our hand."

"It wasn't on purpose," Juliette replied defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What did you say?" Monroe asked her carefully, but Renard stopped her before she could speak.

"It's not relevant right now," Renard said, "what is important now is stopping my brother."

"Well, we are definitely on the same page with that," Monroe said, pointing to the two immobilized hunjagers, "we've already cleared the path. Can't say I hate having a little more backup when we go up there."

"What's the plan?" Renard asked.

Monor looked at Rosalee with apprehension, but she shrugged, "go ahead and tell him."

"Well, once the prince had been lulled into a false sense of security by Nick and Adalind, we were going to, ya know, bust in and take the prince captive," Monroe said. At Renard's incredulous expression, he continued, "then we would have a bargaining chip….with the king. To get him off Nick's back."

"Wouldn't it be easier just to kill the prince?" Juliette asked, sarcasm edging her words.

"Of course it would," Monroe replied, "but that would just make the King mad, and he would keep sending more and more reapers and hundjagers and god know what else after Nick."

"This way they have something to negotiate with," Renard said with a nod, "it could work, I suppose, if you believe the King will keep his word once you send Eric back to Vienna. And that is a pretty big if…"

"We have to try something," Monroe replied, "so we have to work with what we have."

"Okay," Renard said with a sigh, "how can I help."

%%%%%

"I have never met a grimm before," the baron said, a somewhat manic grin spreading across his face, "how fascinating!"

"And I've never met a Cracher-Mortel," Nick responded, and Adalind looked at him in surprise. Apparently they were no longer playing dumb.

"Well, you were awful busy during your stay with us, weren't you?" Eric looked at Adalind in barely contained contempt, and she stared back at him, refusing to back down.

"You thought you had me pegged as a vengeful, petty wanna-be hexenbiest," Adalind replied hotly, before turning her gaze to Nick, "But that's not who I am anymore."

Nick gave her a half smile and Eric sighed as he rolled his eyes.

Yes, yes," he said in a bored voice, "this is all very touching, but unfortunately time has run out for you, my dear. It's time that we let the baron have some fun."

At Eric's words, the baron stepped forward and Adalind watched in horror has he woged into his wesen form, his cheeks puffing out as they filled with the toxic venom. It took only seconds, but time seemed to stand still as the baron turned to her, his intent clear.

"Adalind, no!" she heard Nick yell, but it seemed like his voice was far away, and suddenly she was on the ground, his body on hers, but not moving.

"Well that was interesting," Eric said with a laugh, "although, he was going to be next, anyway. And now there is no one here to save you, is there, my dear?"

Adalind felt a strange, tingling sensation in her stomach, a surge of power seemed to rush through her, the blood in her veins running hot. Somehow, she was able to effortlessly move NIck's body from her own before standing and focusing her rage on Eric and the baron. The baron seemed to enjoy her anger, and once more puffed up to release his venom.

As soon as it left his mouth, Adalind instinctively lifted her hand, stopping the venom mid-air. They all stared at the venom, suspended, in wonder. Adalind turned her hand slightly, the venom moving with it. The baron, panicked, puffed up again, sending venom in her direction. She held up her other hand, suspending the second poison before it could reach her. Smiling, she made eye contact with Eric.

"Now Adalind, just wait a moment…" before he could finish the statement she flicked her hand, sending the venom into his face, the poison covering his face as he fell to the ground. She flicked her other hand, the other venom hitting the baron, and imbolizing him as well.

The two guards, almost forgotten as they stood silently in the corner of the cabin rushed toward her. Adalind held up her hands in a small attempt to stop them, and was amazed to find that their progress was stopped, their feet seemingly stuck to the ground. Intrigued, Adalind took her hands, still held up, a slight push. The small action sent the two men sailing backwards with extreme force, their head bouncing against the walls of the plane, knocking them unconscious.

Adalind stood for a moment, unsure of what had just happened. She looked down at her hands in wonder, turning them over, trying to understand. Her head snapped up as she heard footsteps on the stairs leading to the plane, her fear seeming to make the very air around her shake with intensity.

Sean Renard stepped on to the plane and Adalind pinned him with a gaze unsure of his current allegiance. Instantly, Sean went flying to the wall of the plane, unable to move as he struggled against an invisible force. Adalind frowned, turning her gaze to a stunned Juliette, Rosalee and Monroe. As soon as her concentration on Sean was broken, he dropped to the ground, free of whatever had been holding him captive.

"What the…." all eyes swung to the captain of the plane, who had just emerged from the cockpit. He swiftly drew a gun from his side and pointed it toward Adalind, who was standing closest to him. Not entirely sure what was happening, she lifted her arm and imagined the gun in her own hand. Instantly, the gun flew from the hand of the captain into Adalind's hand.

"Take him, and the co-pilot and lock them in the bedroom in the rear of the plane," Adalind said, her voice calm in contrast to her inner turmoil of emotions, "and you should probably do something with all those hunjagers over there."

Sean nodded slowly and gestured to Monroe to follow him into the cockpit to retrieve the co-pilot. The situation in hand, Adalind immediately dropped to her knees next to Nick, her hand resting on his cold cheek.

"What happened?" Rosalee asked quietly as she knelt down next to Adalind while Sean and Monroe took the captain and his co-pilot into the back of the plane. Juliette maintained her distance, standing quietly by the door, taking in her surroundings. Adalind kept one wary eye on the other woman while turning to talk to Rosalee.

"Eric knew that I had been feeding information to Nick," Adalind said with a shake of her head, "I was so careful…."

Her eyes started to well with tears, and Rosalee wrapped her arm around her.

"It wasn't you Adalind," Rosalee soothed her, "It was Juliette."

"I know, Eric told us," Adalind pulled away from Rosalee abruptly and stood, glaring at Juliette, "It's your fault that this happened to Nick! Are you happy now?"

"Am I happy?," Juliette laughed, but it held no real humor, "I would be happy if it was you lying lifeless on the ground right now. I would be happy if you had never come into our lives. I would be HAPPY if Nick had never been a Grimm! If anyone is to blame for him being here it's you, you little bitch!"

Juliette started to rush at Adalind, but Adalind met her blow with one of her own, sending the other woman to the ground with a simple look. Rosalee looked on in stunned silence.

"How are you doing this?" Rosalee asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Adalind.

"I don't know," Adalind said quietly, falling back to her knees and resting her hand on Nick's still chest, "Eric told the Cracher-Mortel to poison me, but before he had the chance, Nick jumped in front of me and the toxin hit him instead. Ever since then, I've been able to do these…..things. Things I haven't been able to do in awhile. But it so much stronger now….so much more powerful."

"Have you tried to woge?" Rosalee asked carefully, and Adalind quickly shook her head.

"No," Adalind said emphatically, "I don't want this. I don't want my powers back. It's too much of a price to pay."

"Maybe it will be different this time," Rosalee said, "I mean, do you feel any different?"

"Not really," Adalind said, her hand absently running through Nick's hair as she continued to look at his pale face, "but honestly, I don't want to even worry about this right now. We have to take care of Nick."

Rosalee smiled softly, "You're right."

"Tell me you know how to fix this for him," Adalind said, her voice pleading.

"I do," Rosalee said with a nod, "but it won't be easy. We have to wait until he reaches the last stage of the toxins progression before we can administer the antidote. The good news is we have sometime before they wake up from this death-like sleep, so we can move them somewhere safe."

"Like the cabin?" Adalind asked.

"Exactly," Rosalee said, sighing, "but it won't be easy sneaking all these bodies of the plane."

"I'll call Hank," Renard said as he walked back into the main cabin, "he can help us clean up this mess and make it look at least a bit official."

"So these guys aren't dead?" Juliette asked, and Adalind was struck by how emotionless the other woman was being considering her assertions that she still loved Nick.

"No, they just got hit with some nasty toxin that makes it seem like they're dead," Monroe explained, "but let me tell you, when we get to stage four of this stuff, you will definitely know they are alive."

"Hank is on his way," Renard told them as he hung up his phone. He turned to Adalind, "so you want to tell me what the hell is going on."

"Not particularly," Adalind replied defiantly.

"Did Eric give you your powers back?" he asked, and Adalind snorted.

"Not likely, he thought I was a mole and was ready to turn me over to the baron."

The room was quiet for a moment, then Rosalee spoke.

"I think you should try and woge," Rosalee said with confidence, "so we can see what we're dealing with."

Adalind shook her head, but Rosalee put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "this won't change how we feel about you."

"How can you say that," Adalind said tearfully, "After everything I did when I was a hexenbiest."

"Because you know who you are now," Rosalee responded with a smile, "and you know what it's like to love...and be loved."

Adalind looked at the woman she now considered her friend and smiled weakly, "Okay, but you all may want to take a step back. We don't exactly know what we're dealing with…"

The others took a step back and Adalind took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she rolled her head slightly to the right, and then left. Opening her eyes again, she saw everyone in the room looking at her wide eyed. Touching her face, she sighed with relief that she felt only her smooth, human skin.

"So, I'm not a hexenbiest," Adalind said with a triumphant smile, but the other faces continued to show shock, "What is it?"

"I've never seen anything like it," Monroe said, stepping closer.

Adalind started to panic, and she sought out Rosalee for reassurance.

"What is it?" she asked her friend.

"Nothing bad," Rosalee was quick to assure her, before adding, "But there is definitely something different…."

Adalind didn't wait for her to finish, running to the bathroom and staring into the mirror. The reflection she saw made her gasp as she lifted a hand to her hair, which seemed to be shimmering in the light. Her skin was glowing and her eyes had turned to a deep shade of purple. She had been expecting the decaying visage of a hexenbiest, but instead was looking at what could be best described as an angel. She stared at the mirror for a few more seconds before turning and walking back into the main cabin.

"What is this?" Adalind asked in panic, addressing no one in particular.

"I can't believe it," Sean said, shaking his head slowly, "you made Burkhardt love you."

"What?" Adalind looked at him incredulously, "what the hell are you talking about? And what does love have to do with any of this?"

Sean looked at her heard for a moment, as if trying to decide something. She could tell when his internal struggle was resolved, his brow clearing as he regarded her with clear, steady eyes.

"There is a prophecy," Sean started, then seemed to struggle with finding the right words.

"And….," Adalind said impatiently, "what did it say?"

"That there would be a hexenbiest that lost their powers to a grimm….," Sean started to shift uncomfortably, and Adalind started to lose her patience.

"Spit it out, Sean," Adalind snapped.

"And if that Grimm and the former Hexenbiest were to fall in love, the powers of the former hexenbiest would be restored, but in a more powerful form - she would become something called a weißehexe….a white witch," Sean finished, his words coming out in a hurried string.

"That's crazy," Adalind said with a frown.

"Yet here we are," Sean gestured to her still glowing form.

Adalind was about to argue again, but a nagging memory stopped her.

"Nick mentioned his mother finding something in one of their Grimm books," Adalind said, her mind searching for the details of their conversation, "about a grimm and a hexenbiest finding love, turning darkness to light, or something like that….."

"We need to go see Henrietta," Sean responded, making a move towards her, but she stepped back, shaking her head.

"He loves me," Adalind said almost in wonder, ignoring Sean completely. Turning her gaze to Rosalee, "that's what this means, right? The only way I would have become this...white witch, or whatever, is if he loves me?!"

"That's what it sounds like, Adalind," Rosalee said with a smile, but then she cautioned, "But we need to find out more about this."

"Exactly, which is why we need to go see Henrietta," Sean repeated, reaching out and taking Adalind's arm, "Now."

"No," Adalind said, jerking her arm away, "I can't leave Nick when he needs me. I won't."

"Now that that's all settled," Monroe said loudly, defusing the situation before pointing to the two hundjagers on the floor, "anyone want to explain to me what we are going to do with these two guys? They aren't going to be very happy when they wake up, and to be honest with you, I don't want to be here when they do wake up."

"Leave them," Sean said, "they won't report any of this to the police. They will go right to my father. And maybe it's a good thing for him to know who is in control now."


	28. Chapter 28

Hello Everyone - sorry for the shorter update, but we are working on closing on our new house AND our old house, and it has been stressful, not to mention time consuming! We're also leaving for a week today, so I wasn't going to be able to update for another week if I didn't today, so I wanted to give you what I had, even if it was shorter than I would like.

I know I have said this before, but things SHOULD be calming down soon, so I should have more time to write soon, so the posts should go back to being longer, and weekly!

Thanks as always for sticking with me, reviewing, faving and following :)

 **CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT**

Hank arrived on scene and after a shake of his head, accompanied by a deep sigh, he had helped Sean and Monroe start to load the baron and Eric into the trunk of Monroe's car. It was a tight fit, but no one was overly concerned with the comfort of the two men. Greater care was taken when Hank looked down at the frighteningly still body of his partner. Sensing his concern, Adalind tentatively placed a hand on his arm.

"It's just the toxin giving him the appearance of death," Adalind soothed. Hank looked at her hand on his arm, and after a moment, pulled it away, straightening his shoulders.

"I know," Hank replied, his voice a little rougher than usual, "I'm just still not used to all of this…..stuff."

Hank swept his arms around him, but Adalind knew that he wasn't just referring to their current circumstances, but to all the wesen madness in general.

"Thank you for helping," Adalind said lamely. She still wasn't sure how to talk to Hank, their shared history just too awkward to sidestep.

"He's my partner," Hank responded, finally meeting her eyes, "I would do anything for him."

They held each other's gaze for a moment, understanding passing between them. Then the moment passed and Adalind cleared her throat.

"Well. Monroe pulled Nick's car around, so if you don't mind…." her voice trailed off as Hank nodded and carefully lifted Nick. Adalind was tempted to use some of her newfound power to move Nick to the car, but she could see that it meant something to Hank to be able to help his partner, so she followed them quietly down to the car. Hank placed him gently in the car and Adalind gave him a small smile.

"I'll help the captain move those other hundjagers into the plane and then we will meet you guys at the cabin…" Hank's words halted as Adalind turned from him and with a simple flick of her hand moved both bodies into the plane, closing the door behind them.

"Seriously, you couldn't have mentioned that little maneuver before we hauled the prince and his toxin spewing friend?" Monroe griped, and Adalind gave him a half smile.

"I didn't want to diminish your feeling of usefulness," Adalind replied, and Monroe snorted.

"Well next time, feel free," Monroe replied, "my ego isn't that sensitive."

"That, and I kinda forgot," Adalind shrugged, "I've only had my powers back for an hour. Not to mention, they seem to be a bit different."

"Which is why we need to get you to Henrietta," Sean said, walking up behind her.

Adalind sighed, then said, "I told you, I'm not leaving Nick."

"You don't know what you're deal with," Sean said, and Adalind could see the vein start to pulse in his forehead as he tried to remain calm, "this toxin takes hours to work its way through the victims system. What can you possibly do for him right now?"

Adalind turned away, chewing her bottom lip. She knew that Sean had a point. There wasn't much she could do for Nick in his present condition. But she was hesitant to go see Henrietta for another reason - she was afraid to know what the return of her powers actually meant. The last thing that she wanted was to go back to the way she was. What if that was what Henrietta told her would happen?

"I think you will be happy with what she has to say," Sean said, seeming to know what she was thinking.

"Fine," Adalind said, shoving her arms into her jacket. She turned to Rosalee, "please call me if anything changes. I won't be gone long."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Rosalee asked, putting a hand on her arm, "Monroe has Hank to help him if you need me."

"No, it's fine," Adalind gave her a weak smile, "I'll feel better knowing you're with him."

"Okay," Rosalee gave her arm a squeeze before letting go, "and try not to worry. I have plenty of the antidote."

"Good," Adalind took a deep breath and turned back to Sean, "one hour, and then I want to be back with Nick."

"Of course," Sean said gesturing with his arm towards his car, "I just want to do what I can to help."

Adalind narrowed her eyes at him, "why?"

"I feel guilty about what happened to you….to us," Sean said, and Adalind had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at him, "I just want to help you get back what you lost."

"What about your little friend over there," Adalind nodded in the general direction of where Juliette was standing, off to the side, watching, but not offering to help. Sensing eyes on her, she looked up sharply.

"Oh, well….," Sean stammered, and Adalind could tell she had caught him off guard, "I can call her a car…."

"No way," Juliette said, glaring angrily at him, "no way you're leaving me when you are going to talk to your hexenbiest friend. I have questions for her, too."

Adalind raised a brow at Sean, watching with interest how he would react to Juliette's demands.

"Fine," Sean finally answered, his face tightening with tension, "let's just go."

Adalind huffed out a sigh, and turned to walk toward Sean's car. Tonight was just getting better and better.

%%%%%

"I wish Adalind was here," Monroe said, his voice strained for the exertion of carrying dead weight, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE hauling around the prince of...wherever the hell he is from, but that little hand flippy thing she did would have come in handy. My back is killing me."

Rosalee gave him a wan smile as she helped him lay the prince down on the bed that was in the hidden basement of the cabin. They secured his legs and arms to the bed.

"I hope those ropes can hold a zombie," Monroe said, eyeing them skeptically.

"They only need to hold him long enough for me to get the antidote in him," Rosalee assured him, "then he will revert to normal, and we'll have no problem restraining him."

"You make it sound so simple," Monroe replied with a shake of his head, "yet it never ends up being that simple."

"Well, maybe we are due for some good luck," Rosalee responded, then sighed, "now where are we going to put the baron."

They both looked down at the baron, still laying on the floor where Hank had dropped him before he went back upstairs to stay with Nick. Hank hadn't exactly been gentle with the baron, not that Monroe blamed him.

Monroe looked around the small room, finally focusing in on a wide, tall metal pipe.

"Think that will hold him?" Monroe asked Rosalee, and she frowned skeptically.

"Well, like I said, it just needs to hold them long enough to administer the antidote," Rosalee shrugged, "so lets do it."

They dragged the baron close to the pole, wrapping his arms and legs around it before securing them with a rope.

"Well, lets just hope that holds," Rosalee said, wiping her hands on her jeans, "Ready to head upstairs?"

"Absolutely," Monroe said with a shudder, "this place is giving me the creeps, and that was before we added the not-quite undead to the decor."

They headed up the stairs, securing the basement access in the floor with a heavy duty lock before covering it with the rug. As they stood up, Rosalee nudged Monroe in the ribs and gestured with her head to where Hank was sitting next to Nick, a worried look on his face.

"I've been so mad at him for not telling me what was going on, and for whatever it is he has going on with Adalind," Hank said quietly, not looking up at them, "I never really thought about how hard this is for him, or what he was going through. How many risks he was taking."

"Look, don't beat yourself up, man," Monroe responded, "this is a lot to take in. I mean, Nick was pretty angry at everyone at first, too. No one blames you for not being one hundred percent on board with what is going on."

"He's my partner," Hank replied sullenly, "I should have trusted him more."

"You did, that's why you're still here," Rosalee soothed, "why you are in this room. There aren't many people who would have stuck around."

"I guess," Hank said begrudgingly, "but from now on, I'm going to be better. I let all that nonsense with Adalind and the captain cloud my judgment. I'm all in."

"Well, that's good to hear," Monroe sighed, "because when these guys start to wake up, we're going to have our hands full."

"What do you need me to do?" Hank asked, finally raising his head and looking at them, a steely resolve in his eyes.

"Let me ask you this," Monroe asked slowly, pulling out a large syringe-like cylinder with three thick needles sticking out of the end, "Have you ever used a piqure-gigantesque before?"

%%%%%

Adalind sat in stony silence in the backseat of Sean's car. She had held her tongue (and apparently her powers) when Juliette had swept past her and took the passenger seat in the front. Not that she had wanted to sit next to Sean, but still….

She refrained from sighing heavily as Juliette questioned Sean relentlessly about Henrietta, and whether she would be able to tell Juliette how to gain the power of hexenbiest.

"Why do you want to be a hexenbiest?" Adalind asked, finally breaking her silence as exasperation gripped her, "it's awful. You have something inside you that you have to either learn to control, or let control you, and believe me, if they control you, you aren't a particularly nice person."

"I don't want to be a victim anymore," Juliette responded in a clipped voice, "I want to be the one with the power."

"But that's the thing," Adalind said, "you have the power, but your controlled by your darkest emotions. Learning to regulate that isn't easy for a hexenbiest that has lived with it their whole life. What makes you think you even have a chance at harnessing that power without losing yourself completely?"

Juliette's lip drew together in a tight line, but she didn't reply to Adalind, instead turning her head and gazing out the window.

"And you," Adalind directed her anger at Sean, "how could you promise her such a thing, knowing the risks and what it would do to her? Are you that desperate to have a hexenbiest in your life again that you would just sacrifice someone to get what you want?"

"Actually, what I was thinking was that if I didn't give her what she wanted, then my brother would," Sean replied angrily, "and seeing how much both Juliette and my brother hate you, I figured you might not want them teaming up for world domination."

"Right," Adalind snorted, "like you did it all for my benefit."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Sean said evenly, "But you have an important role to play in whatever is happening right now, so I am not willing to sacrifice you…..yet."

"How kind," Adalind replied sarcastically, "just playing the odds again, right?"

Sean didn't bother answering her, and they all spent the rest of the car ride in silence, Adalind stewing in the back as tried to think about anything but the fact that she was becoming a hexenbiest again. Tears started to sting her eyes, and she shook her head, not allowing herself to descend into sadness. No, if she was a hexenbiest again, she would deal with it. She would go back to her grandparents' house and have her grandmother teach her how to be like her. It would be fine.

She snorted to herself. Except that she was in love with a Grimm. A Grimm that would not appreciate having a hexenbiest, no matter how reformed, for a girlfriend. She needed to find a way out of this. She straightened as they pulled up in front of Henrietta's familiar house, taking a deep breath. She hoped the woman had some answers for her.

"How are you going to explain her?" Adalind asked Sean, nodding toward Juliette as they all got out of the car.

"She's a...friend," Sean responded carefully.

"Some friend," Adalind replied under her breath as they made their way up the front steps.

The door, as expected, opened before they had made it all the way to the porch.

"Well, this is an interesting group," Henrietta said with her mysterious smile, and Adalind sighed.

"I have a problem," Adalind said, stepping close to the other woman. Henrietta turned her penetrating gaze on her, the other woman's eyes going wide, her lips parted slightly.

"My God, it actually happened, didn't it?," Henrietta's eyes swung to Sean, and he merely nodded, and she turned her attention back to Adalind, "Please, my dear, come in. I must know everything."

"Wait a minute," Adalind replied, pulling her arm away as Henrietta tried to guide her inside, "you know about this to? You both knew this could happen, but nobody thought to tell me?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you," Henrietta replied, her tone so apologetic that Adalind almost believed her, "that's why I told you to stay with the Grimm, to try and be with him. I was hoping it would happen, and it has!"

"So it was just you that wanted to keep me in the dark," Adalind turned a dark gaze on Sean, "I'll remember that."

"Let's be honest, Adalind," Sean held up a placating hand, "the idea that Nick would fall in love with you was absolutely ridiculous."

"Yet here we are," Adalind replied, spreading her hands out in front of her.

"Shut up, both of you!" Juliette shouted, "I am sick of your bickering. I came here for information, and I intend to get it!"

"And just who are you?," Henrietta had turned with interest to look at Juliette.

"This is my friend, Juliette," Sean responded, eyeing Juliette warily.

"More than friends, I think," Henrietta continued to eye Juliette, "an interesting choice for you, Sean. She's not your usual type."

"Well, considering his usual type is this bitch, I would say that it's an upgrade," Juliette responded with a flick of her head at Adalind, and Henrietta threw her head back and laughed.

"Perhaps I judged you to early," Henrietta responded, then she picked up a lock of Juliette's hair, letting it run through her fingers as she continued to look at her thoughtfully. Finally she dropped the hair and looked to Sean, and then back to Juliette, before saying, almost to herself, "Is it possible….."  
"Can we get back to the reason we're here," Adalind interrupted with an irritated sigh, "you can talk about their love connection - which is disgusting, by the way - later."

Henrietta seemed to take a moment, but she turned her focus back to Adalind.

"Yes, of course, you're right, Adalind," Henrietta responded, "what has happened to you is groundbreaking. Please, all of you, come inside."

"Groundbreaking or not, I want it gone," Adalind said as she walked into Henrietta's living room, "How do I get rid of this….whatever it is."

"Get rid of it?" Henrietta was stunned, "Adalind, you have been given an amazing gift, an opportunity to change the way the wesen world exists."

"What?" Adalind asked, hating the high pitch of her voice, "what are you talking about?"

"You're the one the prophecy spoke of," Henrietta said with a smile, "you're the White Witch."

%%%%%

"He seems to be getting a little twitchy," Hank said, his voice worried as he looked down at Nick, then up at Rosalee, "is that normal?"

"I don't know," Rosalee responded, furrowing her brow. She looked to Monroe, "Can you check the other two? See if they are doing anything similar?"

"Sure thing," Monroe made his way downstairs and Rosalee turned her attention back to Nick.

"I don't like his color," Rosalee said, putting a hand on Nick's cheek, "to be honest, I've never seen anyone in this condition, but still…"

They sat in worried silence for Monroe to return, turning expectantly as he walked back into the living room.

"Nope," Monroe said with a shake of his head, "no twitching down there. Still dead."

"I wonder if this is effecting him differently because he is a Grimm," Rosalee tapped her mouth with her finger, trying to work her mind around what was happening.

"Well, that would be in line with our luck," Monroe sighed.

Their eyes were drawn back to Nick, as he started twitching again, this time the tremors lasting longer as he started to emit low moans.

"I don't like this," Monroe said leaning closer. Nick's hand suddenly shot up and gripped Monroe's arm, "nope, definitely don't like this. Little help here, guys."

Rosalee and Hank moved to the opposite side of Nick and worked to disengage his hand from Monroe's arm. It took all their strength, as well as Monroe's persistent pulling, to remove Nick's hand.

"What the hell?!" Hank asked, pushing back to his feet, "why is he so strong?"

"I'm not sure," Monroe said slowly, "but I have to say…..I'm starting to get a little worried."

Suddenly, Nick's eyes flickered open. They were red rimmed and wild, taking in his surroundings, but not seeming to recognize anything he was seeing.

"Maybe we should have restrained him," Monroe whispered, fear lacing his words as his eyes stayed on Nick, "because I don't think this is going to end well."


End file.
